"The passengers found at around 12:25 a.m. local time at the coordinates of 5 ° 41,907 S - 132 ° 49,273 E are safe," Head of the Ambon Basarnas ( The National Search and Rescue Agency ) Office remarked in Ambon, Maluku Province, on Thursday.
At 1 p.m. local time, all victims were safely evacuated to the Tual Fishing Pier, according to the operation plan, and following an around 1.5-hour-long journey, the SAR team from the SAR Tual Post along with potential SAR personnel using the Bharata SAR state ship berthed at the Tual Fisheries dock.
"With the finding of eight longboat passengers, the SAR operation was declared completed and suggested to be closed," Muslimin revealed.
The longboat was en route from Neron Village in Larat, North Yamdena Island, Tanimbar Islands District, to Tual City.
Initially, the joint SAR team was deployed after receiving information on Thursday (June 6) at around 10:35 a.m. local time when the longboat was reported to have experienced an engine shutdown at coordinates supposedly at 05'43,377 S - 132'50,653 E and a distance of 21 Nm towards 135 degrees southeast from Tual City.
The longboat passengers were identified as Acmal Qilitutubun, a village official; Luki Refra, a Koramil member; Abdulah; Yahdi Rahan; females Halas Refra, Eda Refra, and Ida Retob; and Nesti Retob.
During the search, light rain fell along with the wind, blowing from east to south, at speeds of five to 25 knots and waves reaching heights of between 0.5 and four meters.
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Translator: Daniel L/Bambang Purwanto
Editor: Gusti Nur Cahya Aryani
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