A tourist boat accident in the waters off Padar Island, Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), on Saturday, 27 December 2025, left several victims, including Spanish football coach Fernando Martin Carreras and three of his children, who remain missing.
Martin, the coach of Valencia Femenino B, was travelling with his family aboard the pinisi tourist vessel KM Putri Sakinah when it sank in the Padar Strait, within Komodo National Park.
According to information reported by Detikcom, the boat encountered engine failure before being struck by high waves.
The Labuan Bajo Class III Harbormaster and Port Authority Office (KSOP) stated that the vessel sank after being hit by sudden swells.
“The wave height that occurred in the field was a swell, or a sudden high wave of two to three metres, and occurred over a short period, only half an hour to an hour. That made it difficult for us to conduct the initial search because of the high waves,” said KSOP Class III Head Stephanus Risdiyanto, as quoted by Detikcom.
Of the 11 people on board, seven survived. Martin’s wife, Andrea Ortuno, and one of their daughters were among those rescued. Martin and three of his children were reported missing after the incident.
@dailymail A Spanish football manager and his three young children are among the relatives missing and feared dead after a tourist boat sank in rough seas off Indonesia. Rescuers are searching for Fernando Martin, 44, who trains Valencia’s Women’s B team, and his three children Elia, 12, Kike, 10, and Mateo, nine. Read more at Daily Mail #news #boat #sinking ♬ original sound – Daily Mail
Chronology of the Sinking
The KM Putri Sakinah was carrying 11 people, consisting of six passengers and five crew members, including the captain.
The vessel departed Labuan Bajo Harbour on Friday, 26 December 2025, as part of a family holiday trip. After leaving the harbour, the boat stopped at Kalong Island.
At around 8.30 pm Central Indonesia Time (WITA), the vessel continued its journey from Kalong Island towards Padar Island, an area within Komodo National Park. Approximately 30 minutes into the voyage, the ship’s engine reportedly failed while the vessel was in open waters.
Without engine power, the boat was unable to manoeuvre as sea conditions deteriorated. According to a written statement issued by Mar, the wife of Fernando Martin, and distributed by Budi Widjaja, Chairman of the Labuan Bajo Branch of the Indonesian Maritime and Water Tourism Entrepreneurs Association (Gahawisri), the vessel was struck by two waves.
“The ship was hit by two waves. In the second wave, the ship fell to its side and sank,” Mar said in the statement on Sunday, 28 December 2025.
Mar and their seven-year-old daughter survived the incident.
Together with several crew members and a tour guide, they managed to evacuate into a lifeboat before being rescued by another vessel and a search and rescue team that later arrived at the scene.
However, Fernando Martin and three of his children—Maria Lia Martinez Ortuno, Martin Garcia Mateo, and Martinez Ortuno Enriquejavier—did not reappear after the boat sank.
They were reported to have been inside the cabin area when the vessel went down. As of the time of writing, they remain missing.
Following the report of the sinking, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) deployed a joint SAR team to the location. The operation involved patrol boats, speedboats, divers, and coordination with local authorities and volunteers.
On the second day of the search, the team located debris believed to be from the KM Putri Sakinah around five nautical miles from the reported sinking site.
Divers were also deployed to depths of more than 20 metres at the suspected location of the wreck. By the third day of operations, no victims had been found. Basarnas stated that the four individuals were officially listed as missing, and that no declaration of death would be issued until the operation concluded or further evidence was obtained.
Despite this, several international media outlets, including Reuters, reported that Fernando Martin and his three children had died in the incident, citing statements of condolence issued by football clubs Valencia CF and Real Madrid. Indonesian authorities have not confirmed these reports.
Members of Martin’s extended family have travelled to Labuan Bajo to follow the search efforts. One relative, Alvaro, said that his brother-in-law and three children, aged eight, nine, and 12, were missing.
“So we can bring them back home,” Alvaro said when met at the Marina Waterfront Port in Labuan Bajo.
West Manggarai Search and Rescue Post Coordinator Edy Suryono said the operation had recovered several personal items believed to belong to the vessel.
“For tomorrow, we will expand the search area, but we will continue to coordinate with the fishermen who were fishing in those waters,” Edy said.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Embassy expressed its appreciation for the rescue efforts undertaken by Indonesian authorities. According to Kompas.com, the embassy thanked the East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police (Polda NTT) and other agencies involved in the humanitarian operation at sea.
Search Continue
NTT Regional Police Public Relations Chief Senior Commissioner Hendry Novika Chandra said the appreciation served as encouragement for personnel in the field.
“We receive appreciation from the Spanish Embassy for the hard work and concern of all elements involved. The NTT Regional Police, along with the joint team, are committed to carrying out the search as efficiently, professionally, and humanely as possible,” Hendry said in Kupang on Sunday, 28 December 2025.
Hendry also confirmed that two Spanish nationals on board, Martines Ortuno Mar Amanda and Martines Ortuno Marialia, were rescued and are in stable condition. “The safety of the victims is our top priority. The NTT Regional Police ensure that the surviving foreign nationals receive medical treatment, security, and support while in Labuan Bajo,” he said.
According to Kompas.com, the ongoing search involves a joint maritime team comprising the NTT Police Water Unit (Ditpolairud), Basarnas, the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL), KSOP, the National Police Water Unit Headquarters, and professional divers.
cover: Canva
