JAKARTA - Personnel from the East Nusa Tenggara Police's Water and Air Police Directorate (Ditpolairud) rescued two crew members of the KM Tanjung Harapan 3 motorboat crossing that sank after being hit by high waves in the waters of the Larantuka Strait, East Flores Regency.
Director of Polairud Polda NTT Kombes Pol Irwan Deffi Nasution said his personnel who were carrying out a picket in the area immediately moved quickly to evacuate after seeing the ship in an emergency condition.
"Our personnel immediately headed to the scene and managed to evacuate two ship crew to Tobilota Wharf or Tobilota Harbor Office in a safe condition," he said in Kupang, Tuesday, quoted by Antara.
He said the incident began at around 08.10 Wita when strong winds accompanied by high waves hit the Larantuka Pelni Wharf.
A number of ships that were anchored then tried to find shelter from the bad weather.
KM Tanjung Harapan 3 then left the pier to seek shelter towards Tobilota Port on Adonara Island.
At the time of the incident, the ship had not yet been able to transport passengers and only carried two motorcycle units belonging to the ship's crew.
However, at around 08.45 Wita, the ship was hit by a large wave until the seawater entered the ship's deck and caused the ship to sink in the waters of the Larantuka Strait.
Aware of the emergency situation, the Ditpolairud personnel immediately moved to the location to carry out the evacuation.
The two crew members were rescued, namely KK (54) who was the captain of the ship, a resident of Pante Besar Village, East Flores, and EH (24) who was a crew member (ABK) from Tobilota Village, Wotan Ulumado District.
"There were no casualties in the incident. However, the material losses due to the sinking of the ship are estimated to reach around IDR 250 million," he added.
Irwan appealed to coastal communities and ship operators to always pay attention to weather conditions before carrying out shipping activities.
"We appeal to the public and ship operators to always pay attention to weather conditions and prioritize safety when sailing," he concluded.
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