inp.polri.go.id - Labuan Bajo. The Joint Search and Rescue (SAR) Team resumed search operations for the sinking motor vessel (KM) Putri Sakinah on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, in the waters around Padar Island, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
Several elements were mobilized to their full potential, utilizing underwater search technology, but by the afternoon, the search had yielded no results.
The search began at 7:00 a.m. with a briefing from the SAR Team from the NTT Regional Police at the North Padar Post. The team then proceeded to a search point 1.7 nautical miles away at coordinates 08°38.015'S 119°36.579'E, carrying SAR equipment and conducting a sonar search.
At around 9:00 a.m., the SAR team dove to the water using a Seabob. This was followed by a dive conducted by police divers, Joel Bolang and Rahman Bao, but yielded no results.
Search efforts continued to intensify. At 10:20 a.m., the Joint SAR Team resumed the search. Shortly thereafter, the Director of Marine and Air Unit of NTT Regional Police departed from Marina Harbor in a KPC 2007 to the search location, carrying additional sonar equipment.
At 11:27 a.m., the search team from the police arrived in the waters off Batu Payung, Padar Island, handed over additional SAR equipment to the dive team and led the search activities in the field. Further searches were conducted into the waters off Batu Payung, approximately 2 nautical miles away.
That afternoon, the Joint SAR Team deployed an Underwater Drone (SRV-8MS) twice, at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., to optimize the underwater monitoring. A second dive was conducted by police dive personnel at 3:25 p.m., but still yielded no results.
At approximately 4:30 p.m., the entire Joint SAR Team returned to the North Padar National Park (TNK) Post, officially declaring the sixth day of SAR operations complete.
The Head of Public Relations for the NTT Regional Police, Senior Superintendent Henry Novika Chandra, stated that all personnel remain fully committed to continuing the search efforts.
"The NTT Regional Police Chief emphasized that the NTT Regional Police, along with all elements of the Joint Search and Rescue (SAR) Unit, will continue the search optimally, accordingly, while also prioritizing personnel safety. Although the results have not yet been achieved on the sixth day, we will not back down and will continue operations tomorrow with a thorough evaluation of the areas that have been and will be searched," said Henry.
He also explained that the search faced several obstacles in the field, including relatively short periods of calm sea water and the condition of the waters' bottom, which is dominated by large rocks, which are often detected by 2D sonar, requiring direct verification through diving.
SAR operations will be continued the following day with strengthened coordination between agencies and the use of high-tech SAR equipment, in order to find the truth in the sinking of the KM Putri Sakinah.
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