Kupang SAR Team Evacuated 12 Fishermen Drowning In Australian Waters

The joint SAR team evacuated 12 fishermen from Papela, East Rote District, Rote Ndao Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, whose ship sank and was hit by high waves in Indonesian-Australian waters.

"The joint SAR team has evacuated 12 fishermen from Papela, Rote Regency who had an accident in the waters of Indonesia-Australia," said Head of the Kupang Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas) I Putu Sudayana, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 24.

The motorboat carrying 12 fishermen from Rote Ndao Regency was previously hit by a storm and sank in the waters of the Indonesia - Australia border on May 19, 2023 and was found by the Australian Border Force (ABF) and evacuated by HMAS ADV Cape Otway.

The Australian government through the Australian JRCC requested evacuation assistance for 12 fishermen using Indonesian ships, namely KN Pulau Nipah (Bakamla RI) to be evacuated to Indonesia.

According to him, the Kupang Basarnas office received information from the Basarnas Command Center (BCC) regarding requests for evacuation from the Australian Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRC) to evacuate 12 fishermen.

The Kupang Basarnas immediately mobilized a joint SAR team consisting of members of the Kupang Basarnas SAR along with Bakamla Kupang personnel, Kupang PSDKP and Polair using two units of State ships KN Nipah Island (BAKAMLA) and KN Orcha (PSDKP) to the scene.

"The SAR team departed from Kupang at around 07.00 WITA and arrived at the scene at 11.40 WITA, after arriving at the location of the joint SAR team immediately evacuated 12 fishermen from the Australian JRCC ship to the KN Pulau Nipah owned by BAKAMLA Kupang," said I Putu Sudayana.

According to him, the fishermen from Papela, Rote Ndao Regency, had been evacuated by SAR team using KN Nipah and then transported by fishing boat to Papela where the fishermen came from.

"The victims were picked up by the family using fishing boats around Papela waters so that they were transferred from KN Nipah Island to fishing boats to be taken to Papela, all the fishermen had arrived safely in Papela, East Rote District," said I Putu Sudayana.