3 Days Reported Missing In Makassar Strait, East Kalimantan SAR Team Finds 2 Crew Members Safe

The Wisanggeni 236 State Ship (KN) found a barge that was found by the East Kalimantan Joint Team, Monday (11/9)/DOK ANTARA

SAMARINDA - The joint SAR team of East Kalimantan Province managed to find two crew members (ABK) who were missing on a barge due to being carried away by the ocean currents in the Makassar Strait, in a safe condition. "The two people disappeared on the barge due to being carried away by ocean currents in the Makassar Strait last Friday," said Head of the East Kalimantan Provincial Basarnas Office Melkianus Kotta when contacted from Samarinda, Antara, Monday, September 11. The SAR team managed to find the two victims in good health and remained on the barge, at around 11.00 this afternoon. Meanwhile, foreigners from China from different ships that are also missing in the Makassar Strait are still being searched by the state ship (KN) Wisanggeni 236. Previously, on Friday at around 06.00 WITA, the TB Bintang Abadi III ship experienced engine failure due to bad weather and large waves in the waters around Muara Berau - Muara Badak, East Kalimantan. This incident resulted in the barges entering the ship's propellers, so the barges had to be cut. However, on the barge there were still two crew members (ABK) trapped, while the barges were swept away by the current into the waters of the Makassar Strait. Based on the confirmation of the witnesses on board the ship, the trapped victim did not carry a communication tool so it was difficult to track down his whereabouts. The two crew members in the barge were Wahyu Harapan Santuri and M Patli. Currently, the barge, along with two crew members who were carried away by the previous current, have been found and pulled by a tug boat to be brought to Muara Berau in Berau Regency. The Joint SAR team conducting the search today is from the East Kutai SAR Post and the TB TYM Mulia Crew, with a search of 317 nautical miles (NM²) from the initial location, while the search pattern uses a sweep search parallel with a tracking 0.8 NM. "The Joint SAR team that conducted the search included the East Kutai Post Rescue Team, the TB TYM Mulia Crew, the Bontang City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Nantang Navy, the Marangkayu Navy Post, the Senipah LSP, the Tanjung Santan Navy Post, the Muara Pegah Navy Post, the Bontang Class II KSOP, the Sangkulirang KUPP, and the families of the victims," he said.

Meanwhile, the equipment used to search is rigid inflatable boats (RIB) of the SAR Post in East Kutai Regency, equipment from TB TYM Mulia, complete SAR equipment for water, medical equipment, navigation equipment, and communication equipment.