"The ship lost its engine, then drifted, and help was then sought to be evacuated," the head of Mentawai Islands District SAR, Akmal, stated in Mentawai, Tuesday.
He remarked that information regarding the ship's engine failure was first received by the SAR team from the Mentawai Islands Water and Air Police Corps at 00:40 local time.
The four foreigners were Santos Junqueira (40), Parker JR David Timothy (40), Papageorge Andreas (52), and Prior Barbosa (34). The two Indonesian citizens who served as crew members were Joni (35) and Suardijen (47).
Akmal said the 18-meter-long Saraina motor ship drifted around the waters of North Sipora, or precisely between North Sipora Island and Awera Island.
At the time of evacuation, the Mentawai SAR recorded wind speeds of 2 to 15 knots, with wave heights of 1.25 to 2.5 meters and in light rain conditions, he remarked.
Apart from the SAR Team, personnel of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), National Police (Polri), the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), the Emergency Response Unit (Tagana), the medical team, and the local community also participated in assisting the evacuation process, Akmal remarked.
The Mentawai SAR team also reminded the public, fishermen, tourists, and tour boat entrepreneurs to pay attention to weather conditions before sailing with reference to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency's (BMKG's) weather forecast.
Moreover, they must ensure the ship's logistical readiness, including sufficient fuel oil, check the condition of the ship's engines, and prepare and re-check safety equipment, such as life vests and signal transmitters.
In addition, people vacationing at tourist attractions, especially at beaches in the Mentawai Islands, must supervise their children while playing on the beach, Akmal emphasized.
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Translator: Muhammad Zulfikar, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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