New Zealand yacht rescues eight after Indonesian boat sinks

Eight crew members of the motor vessel Teluk Bara, which sank in the waters off Tanjung Alang, Maluku, have been rescued. They were found drifting at sea by the New Zealand-flagged yacht Salty Dogz after their vessel went down early Saturday morning.

The joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team in Ambon received a report of the sinking around 7:35 a.m. local time. A rescue operation was launched, involving the state-owned rescue vessel KN SAR Abimanyu. SAR teams and local residents later spotted the yacht circling near the sinking site.

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The joint SAR team successfully rescued eight crew members of the motor vessel carrying construction materials after it sank in waters off Tanjung Alang.

Upon reaching the yacht, the SAR team confirmed all eight crew members were safe. The captain of the Teluk Bara explained that the vessel departed Ambon City at 5 a.m. en route to South Buru District. High waves near Tanjung Alang caused wooden planks to loosen, leading to flooding and the sinking of the ship.

The survivors managed to stay afloat using debris before the Salty Dogz yacht found them around 10 a.m. The yacht was preparing to transport them to Ambon City. The rescued crew were later transferred to the KN SAR Abimanyu and brought to the BRIN Pier in Ambon, where they were reunited with their families.

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The Ambon SAR team then verified the information by dispatching to the yacht location, and around 11:26 a.m. the team arrived at the yacht and found all eight crew members safe on board.