Shipwreck In Tanakeke Waters, 5 Days Three Crew Members Still Missing

Illustration of the SAR Team searching for missing persons at sea (ANTARA)

TakALAR - The Harapan Jaya Motorboat (KM) which serves the Sulange-Pulau Sumange route, Pangkep Islands, sank in the waters of Tanakeke, Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi (Sulsel). Five days reported missing, three of the six crew members (ABK) are still missing and are currently being searched for by the joint SAR team.

Head of the Makassar Class A Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas), Muhammad Arif Anwar, explained that the ship sank after experiencing a leak in the left hull due to being hit by high waves. This incident occurred last Friday last week at around 00.00 WITA.

"The bad weather caused a high wave that hit the ship causing a leak. However, new information was received on Tuesday, January 14," explained Arif Anwar.

After receiving the report, officers from the Bantaeng SAR Post and Selayar SAR Post together with relevant SAR agencies and organizations were immediately deployed to search for crew members at the accident site.

The search involved rubber boats and rigid inflatable boats directed at the discovery point of the previous survivors, as well as helicopter support from the South Sulawesi Regional Police. However, until 14.00 WITA, the search had not yielded any results.

Of the six crew members who were at KM Harapan Jaya, three had been found safe and evacuated by residents of Dongcalang Hamlet, Selayar Island.

"There are still three crew members missing. We will maximize the search until 17.00 WITA today. If it has not been found, the search will continue tomorrow," he added.

Authorities continue to urge coastal communities to be aware of bad weather conditions that could endanger shipping safety.