Second body found in search for Spanish football coach and family after Indonesia boat sinking

Indonesian authorities have intensified a multinational rescue effort in the waters of Komodo National Park

Indonesian search teams have found a second body as efforts continue to locate a Spanish football coach and two of his children after a tour boat sank during a Christmas holiday in eastern Indonesia.

The incident occurred on the evening of 26 December when a boat carrying Valencia CF Women’s B coach Fernando Martín, 44, his wife, their four children, four crew members and a local guide encountered engine failure and sank in waters near the national park.

Rescuers spotted the body drifting near Padar Island, roughly 2km from where the vessel went down, according to Fathur Rahman, head of the Maumere Search and Rescue (SAR) Office.

The remains have not yet been formally identified, but authorities believe they belong to one of the missing family members. Mr Rahman said the body was taken to a hospital in Labuan Bajo, the main access town to Komodo National Park, so forensic teams could establish its identity.

Rescue crews were able to save Martín’s wife and one of the children, as well as the guide and all four crew members, within hours of the sinking. However, Mr Martín and three of his children – two boys and a girl aged nine, 10 and 12 – were reported missing, prompting an ongoing search operation in the area.

Rescuers found the first victim, the 12-year-old Spanish girl, three days later floating near the northern waters of Serai island, about 1km from the site of the sinking. Indonesian authorities confirmed with Martin's wife and through medical and forensic identification that the girl was one of the missing children.

Mr Rahman said the Spanish government and families of the victims have been deeply involved. Spain’s ambassador formally requested continued reinforcement of the search in a  31 December letter. Under Indonesian law, search operations typically last seven days, but can be extended if there are signs or chances of finding victims.

“We are determined to find all the victims,” said Mr Rahman, following a review by the joint SAR team that extended operations to 4 January. “We remain optimistic that the hard work of all SAR elements will yield results during this extended operation.”

The search operation, on its tenth day on Sunday, continued for the remaining family members. Efforts have been reinforced with more than 160 personnel, supported by police and the navy, who were combing four sectors in inflatable boats, navy ships and rescue vessels equipped with sonar equipment and underwater navigation gear across the Komodo National Park waters. Divers were also deployed.

Komodo National Park is a Unesco World Heritage site famous for its rugged landscapes, pristine beaches and an endangered lizard, the Komodo dragon. The park attracts thousands of international visitors for diving, trekking and wildlife tours.

Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, where boats are a common form of transportation. With lax safety standards and problems with overcrowding, accidents occur frequently.