Four members of the same Spanish family are missing due to the sinking of a tourist boat in Indonesia, authorities in both countries reported this Saturday, December 27th.
The missing are Fernando Martín Carreras, 44, former player and current coach of Valencia’s women’s B team, and three of his four children, aged 12, 10 and 9.according to the Spanish press.
There were 11 people on the tourist boat, seven of whom were rescued alive, including the Spanish coach’s wife, Andrea Ortuño, and one of his daughters. Four other crew members and a tour guide were also rescued, according to the Efe news agency.
The sinking occurred on Friday night, near Padar Island, east of the tourist destination of Bali, when the boat, on which the Spanish family from Valencia was traveling, suffered an engine failure and capsized due to the strong swell that was felt. According to state news agency Antara, the waves reached three meters high.
Enrique Ortuño, father-in-law of the Spanish coach, told Efe that the chances of finding his grandchildren and son-in-law alive are slim
“My daughter and my granddaughter were thrown into the sea because they were at a higher point. They fell into the water and were rescued, but my three grandchildren and my son-in-law are probably trapped inside the boat, which broke up and sank quickly”, said Ortunño, owner of a well-known restaurant on the Valencia waterfront, noting that he has received support from the authorities, having been in contact with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency announced a video in which it is possible to see the work of the rescue operations teams, which has been hampered by adverse weather conditions. Fathur Rahman, coordinator of search and rescue work, told AFP this.