Feronia sinking renews calls for marine-tourism safety review
KM Feronia sank near Tatawa Island on 13 October after encountering strong currents, with 29 people rescued and one passenger still missing as search efforts continued.
By Pandi Muktar
· 2 min read
Labuan Bajo — KM Feronia sank in the waters around Tatawa Island, Manggarai Barat, on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, after carrying 25 passengers and five crew members. Rescue teams evacuated 29 people, while one passenger remained missing.
Why it matters: Visitors using tourist vessels in Komodo waters faced a fatality risk after 29 people were rescued and one passenger remained missing following the sinking.
The vessel left Marina Labuan Bajo at about 8 a.m. bound for Rinca Island, according to the Maumere Search and Rescue Office as reported by Liputan6.com. At about 2:30 p.m., it encountered strong currents near Tatawa Island, tilted, overturned and sank.
Rescue operation
Fourteen passengers were evacuated by the Red Whale 2 speedboat at about 3 p.m. Rescue teams and other vessels continued the operation until 29 people had been brought to safety by 6 p.m., Liputan6.com reported.
The missing passenger was identified as Veronica Beatrix Jessica, 23, an Indonesian citizen. Search operations were temporarily suspended on Tuesday because of limited visibility and strong currents and were scheduled to resume on Wednesday, 14 October, according to the reported SAR briefing.
Reports differed on the precise location, with accounts placing the incident around Tatawa Island, Tatawa Besar or Batu Bolong. The initial account from the Labuan Bajo port authority attributed the accident to bad weather, while later reporting cited a preliminary suspicion that the vessel lost control in a strong current; the investigation into the definitive cause remained ongoing.
Safety concerns
The sinking has renewed calls in Manggarai Barat for improvements to marine-tourism safety and vessel oversight, according to Pos-Kupang.com. The call followed the evacuation operation and the continuing search for the missing passenger.
The incident highlights the immediate safety consequence for visitors using liveaboard and day-trip vessels in Komodo waters: one passenger remained unaccounted for after 29 people were rescued, while authorities continued the search and investigation.
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