Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara. Indonesian authorities confirmed that a body recovered by search and rescue teams on Sunday was Fernando Martín, a Spanish football coach from Valencia FC, who went missing along with his children after a tourist boat capsized off the coast of Labuan Bajo late last month.
East Nusa Tenggara police said the body was found at 8:47 a.m. local time and identified by the police’s Disaster Victim Identification team in coordination with Komodo Regional Hospital in Labuan Bajo.
“Based on the identification conducted by the police and Komodo Regional Hospital, we can confirm that the body is one of the victims of the sinking of the tourist boat Putri Sakinah on Dec. 26, 2025,” said Fathur Rahman, head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Office. “The victim has been identified as Martin Carreras Fernando, a 44-year-old male.”
Last week, the body of one of Martín’s sons was also found and identified by his mother, who survived the accident along with one of their daughters.
Two of Martín’s children remain missing.
Joint search and rescue teams have resumed efforts to locate the remaining victims near the area where the latest body was found. The search is being carried out by sweeping surface waters following sea currents, combing nearby islands, deploying sonar equipment, and conducting dives at several locations. The search operation is scheduled to continue until Jan. 7.
The tourist boat Putri Sakinah was carrying six members of Martín’s family, four crew members, and a local guide when it capsized on Dec. 26 after experiencing engine failure during a voyage from Komodo Island to Padar Island.
Two passengers — the Spanish mother and one daughter — survived the incident. Martín, his two sons, and another daughter were initially reported missing following the accident.
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