SAR Evacuates 30 Passengers Of An Accident Ship In The Waters Of Busel, Southeast Sulawesi

The Baubau SAR Post Rescue Team was evacuating ship passengers. (ANTARA/HO-Basarnas Kendari)

KENDARI - The Baubau SAR Post Rescue Team evacuated 30 passengers on the Q Express People's Ship who had an accident around Batauga Waters, Batu Atas Island, South Buton Regency (Busel), Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra).

Head of Basarnas Kendari Muhammad Arafah said the information on the ship's accident was first informed by one of the passengers on the ship named Sakri, at 11.25 WITA.

"He reported that there had been a ship accident, namely the People's Ship Q Express with a total cargo of 36 people who suffered a leak in the bow of the ship around the waters of Batu Atas Island Batoga," Arafah said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, May 16.

Armed with this information, his party then dispatched the Baubau SAR Post Rescue Team to the reported location to provide SAR assistance, at 11.40 WITA.

"The location of the incident with Murhum Baubau Port is about 26.7 nautical miles," he said.

At around 12:17 WITA, rescue teams using rubber boats found the ship about 10.86 nautical miles north of the Northwest from the scene.

"Furthermore, the team accompanied the ship to the waters of Masiri Village, to find a safe place to move passengers, at 13.36 WITA," said Muhammad Arafah.

Furthermore, at around 14.30 WITA, all passengers were mobilized using a rubber boat from the Q Express boat to the 210 rubber boat carrying 30 passengers to Batu Atas Island Port, with a distance of about 35 nautical miles from Masiri Village waters.

"Meanwhile, six crew members (ship crew members) are still on board to make repairs," he said.

At 17.15 WITA, the RB 210 boat arrived at the waters of Batu Atas Island. Due to wave conditions that did not allow it to dock at the port, the 30 passengers were picked up by four boats to be brought ashore.