Speedboat captain carrying 11 foreign tourists in Gorontalo still missing

A joint search and rescue team has located 11 foreign tourists and their crew members who were reported missing after their speedboat lost contact in the Tomini Bay, Gorontalo Province. While all passengers and crew have been found safe, the boat's captain is still missing.

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Alhamdulillah all victims were found safe, but we still have one victim, the captain, who is reported missing.

The incident occurred when the speedboat, carrying 13 people including the 11 foreign tourists, one crew member, and the captain, was traveling from Tojo Una-una Regency in Central Sulawesi to Marisa Port in Pohuwato Regency, Gorontalo Province. The vessel encountered severe weather, causing it to break apart.

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According to the information we received, there was bad weather which caused the boat carrying the tourists to break apart.

According to the head of Basarnas Gorontalo, Heriyanto, the captain was not seen during the evacuation to a raft due to fog obstructing visibility. The speedboat reportedly broke into two pieces and sank around 9 p.m. local time.

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Because his vision was obstructed by fog, he did not see the captain's position, who was still on his ship.

Search efforts for the missing captain, identified as Ferdiansyah, 29, are ongoing. The SAR team is committed to continuing the search for seven days, following standard operating procedures. The focus remains on locating the captain while ensuring the safety and well-being of the rescued tourists and crew.

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We will continue to carry out the search according to SOP for seven days.