Indonesia rescuers find Spanish tourist's body after boat sinks

Jakarta: Rescuers retrieved on Sunday the body of a Spanish man who had been missing since a tourist boat sank in rough seas off eastern Indonesia more than a week ago, an official said.

Fathur Rahman, head of the local search and rescue agency, said a body was found floating in waters near Rinca island, around 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) from site of the accident on December 26.

Following an identification process, authorities have confirmed the victim's identity, 44-year-old Fernando Martin Carreras, added Fathur.

Carreras was the coach of the reserve women's team of the Spanish club Valencia, according to an earlier statement from Real Madrid.

This handout picture taken and released on January 4, 2026 by Indonesia's National Search and Resque Agency (BASARNAS) shows rescue personnel carrying a body bag containing the remains of missing Spanish man Fernando Martin Carreras, from waters off Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara. Photo by HANDOUT / INDONESIA'S NATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE AGENCY (BASARNAS) / AFP

The man's wife and one of their daughters were among seven people rescued after the vessel went down in the Padar Island Strait, near the popular destination of Labuan Bajo.

Authorities found the body of another daughter on Monday, leaving two people still missing -- both boys from the same family.

Rescuers continue their search, aided by divers and sonar systems, Fathur said.

Local police have launched an investigation into the sinking, state news agency Antara reported on Thursday, with a police spokesman saying legal action would be taken if authorities can find evidence of negligence.

Maritime accidents occur regularly in Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, often due to lax safety standards or bad weather.