Overview
- Rescue teams located all 11 European tourists and one Indonesian crew member alive and evacuated them to a resort after the group spent more than 24 hours adrift, officials said Saturday.
- The boat’s 29-year-old captain remains unaccounted for and authorities have extended operations with a window of up to seven days to continue searching for him.
- Teams are searching about 300 square nautical miles of Tomini Bay with multiple vessels, diving squads and thermal-imaging drones based on the boat’s projected route.
- Survivors reported the vessel broke apart in rough conditions and they reached a liferaft, while rescuers faced strong winds and waves up to 2.5 meters despite forecasts of clear skies.
- The incident involves nationals from several European countries and highlights recurring safety and weather risks for small tourist vessels in Indonesia, following a separate passenger-boat sinking earlier this month.