The Testimony Of The Selamat Victims Of The Calisca 01 Ship Overturned, Was Thrown 20 M

Calisca ship (Photo: Doc. Antara/HO-Bakamla)

JAKARTA - Resky Arianto still remembers very well the details of how his body was thrown approximately 20 meters from the top of the Calisca 01 ship he was traveling in during an accident around the waters of Bird Island, Riau Province.

That day, Thursday (27/4/2023) afternoon, the weather conditions in the sea of Bird Island and its surroundings were observed to be normal and supported shipping activities for the Calisca 01 Ship departing from Pelindo Tembilahan Port, Indragiri Hilir Regency, Riau Province, to Sri Bintan Pura Port (SBP) in Tanjungpinang City, Riau Islands Province (Kepri).

Moments after removing the mooring line, the fast boat carrying dozens of passengers sailed as usual without any problems.

A number of passengers on the fast boat also looked engrossed in chatting with their families or other passengers who were sitting in the row of seats next to them.

Including, Resky Arianto, a young man from Ganet, Tanjungpinang City, who also crossed with his younger brother, brother-in-law, and a number of nephews.

They have just celebrated Eid al-Fitr 1444 Hijri/2023 in Tembilahan and are on their way home after the cross-provincial homecoming.

About an hour's drive out of port, Resky and a sister left the chair to the deck or the top of the ship to just relax enjoying the strong winds of the sea.

Initially everything went safely and smoothly, until one day a loud crash was heard from the bottom of the ship, apparently crashing into an object suspected of being a stick.

When the collision occurred, Resky and his sister bounced and fell into the sea, far away from the ship they were traveling in.

Meanwhile, the situation of the Calisca 01 ship, suddenly tilted and suddenly capsized in the middle of the sea, which was allegedly due to losing control.

Resky and his sister tried to save themselves by reaching a buoy from a spill of ship passengers' belongings, such as suitcases and backpacks.

Both of them managed to float on the sea surface with the help of makeshift equipment while swimming to approach the overturned Calisca 01 ship to ensure the condition of the family.

He then found all his family making it safely out of the overturned ship holding the floating ship's hull.

"At that time what I thought was saving my family. I don't know what happened to the other passengers, whether they were trapped on the ship or not," said Resky when he arrived at the port of SBP Tanjungpinang, Saturday (29/4/2023).

Resky witnessed for himself how the atmosphere on the ship was quiet, but briefly turned into a heartbreaking disaster.

A number of passengers who first escaped the ship trap capsized shouting hysterically while trying to save themselves and their respective families.

It happened very quickly, at around 13.40 WIB. In just seconds, the ship capsized at sea.

Another passenger, Arfan, a resident of Bintan Regency, Riau Islands Province, also shared his struggle with his wife to survive the incident of the capsized Calisca 01 Ship.

When the ship's seconds were overturned, he, who was sitting in the front seat, immediately grabbed his wife's hand tightly to reach the entrance and exit of the ship's passengers not far from the seat position.

Covered with panic, while praying to Allah Swt. Arfan and his wife finally managed to get out of the capsized ship. Both of them rest on the hull of the ship that arises while waiting for help to arrive.

Meanwhile, according to his testimony, a number of passengers sitting in the middle seat of the ship were trapped and unable to get out to sea level.

"Alhamdulillah. Thank God, because we are still given safety by Allah SWT.," he said.

Shortly after the incident, the fast boat capsized, a number of ships/pompongs that happened to pass in the area where the incident immediately helped evacuate several passenger victims who were floating in the sea.

Those consisting of adult passengers and a number of children were then taken to Sungai Guntung Port, Riau Province.

Some are receiving medical treatment at a nearby hospital.

Handling of victims

There are at least 38 residents of Tanjungpinang City who are currently recorded as safe in the incident of the capsized Calisca 01 ship.

A total of 16 of them have been returned from Sungai Guntung Port to the Tanjungpinang SBP International Port, at around 16.00 WIB, Saturday, using the Terubuk Express Ship.

These are dominated by adults and some children under 5 years old, while the rest are still in Tembilahan while waiting for their next repatriation to Tanjungpinang.

After arriving at the port, the 16 victims were facilitated to return to their respective homes by taking the bus provided by the Tanjungpinang Police along with the relevant agencies.

There were also among the victims who were picked up directly by the family.

The police also prepared psychological assistance to the victims of this capsized ship. From the results of the initial inspection, there were no signs of excessive trauma surrounding them.

However, the police continue to open psychological consultation services via Whatsapp to information posts for victims of the Calisca 01 ship crash at the entrance to the Tanjungpinang SBP Port.

The Tanjungpinang Police continue to coordinate with related parties in Riau Province regarding the total number of victims of the Calisca 01 ship crash, especially residents of the local area.

Based on temporary data, 12 passengers were found dead as a result of the ship's incident which had only been operating for two months.

One of them is a resident from Tanjungpinang City, Andrian (30 years old), whose body has arrived and was buried at the Sungai Carang TPU, Friday (28/4/2023) night.

Until now, the joint team in Riau Province is still focused on evacuating survivors and deaths. Also still looking for victims who have not been found.