Police confirm identity of Valencia coach killed in Komodo boat sinking

Labuan Bajo — — Indonesian authorities have confirmed the body of Spanish football coach Fernando Martín Carreras, recovered in the Padar Strait off Labuan Bajo, as one of four missing victims from the sinking of the tourist boat KM Putri Sakinah on 26 December 2025.

Police in East Nusa Tenggara identified the body as Carreras, a coach of Valencia CF’s women’s B team, after a joint search and rescue operation found an adult male victim in the waters of Selat Padar on Sunday, 4 January 2026, according to a police statement reported by Tempo and other outlets.

The identification drew on forensic examination and information supplied by Carreras’ family and Spanish authorities. Police said the body matched ante-mortem and post-mortem data, including height and distinctive physical characteristics.

Identification of the victim

East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police spokesperson Commissioner Henry Novika Chandra said the regional police’s disaster victim identification team confirmed the body belonged to Fernando Martín.

The team examined primary and secondary identifiers before formally linking the remains to the Valencia coach, who had been missing along with three of his children since the sinking.

Earlier, search and rescue officials had reported recovering the body of one of Carreras’ daughters, while two sons remained missing. The coach’s wife and another daughter survived and were among seven people rescued after the accident.

Details of the sinking

According to the Indonesian Transportation Ministry and search and rescue officials quoted in multiple reports, the wooden pinisi tourist vessel KM Putri Sakinah went down in rough seas at around 20:30–20:45 local time on 26 December 2025 in the Padar Island Strait, part of Komodo National Park.

The boat was sailing from Komodo Island toward Padar Island with a total of 11 people on board: six Spanish nationals from a single family, four Indonesian crew members and a local tour guide.

Seven people were rescued shortly after the incident: two Spanish nationals — Carreras’ wife and one child — four crew members and the tour guide, according to the local search and rescue agency and police.

The four missing Spanish tourists were identified as Martin Carreras Fernando, Martin Garcia Mateo, Martines Ortuno Maria Lia and Martinez Ortuno Enriquejavier, police told Tempo.

Ongoing search and safety review

Following the sinking, Indonesian rescue teams extended search operations for the remaining missing children, working from the accident site in the Padar Strait and across nearby waters in Komodo National Park.

Basarnas, Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, later reported that another body believed to be one of Carreras’ sons was found in the hull of the Putri Sakinah after the vessel was located aground near Pede Beach, several nautical miles from the original sinking location.

The incident has prompted Indonesian authorities to review maritime safety procedures for tourist vessels operating in Komodo National Park, including oversight of wooden pinisi boats and emergency preparedness, according to coverage citing transport officials.

As of early January 2026, search operations remained under way for the last missing child from the Spanish family, while coordination continued between Indonesian officials and Spanish diplomatic representatives over repatriation of the recovered remains.

Sources

• Tempo.co (English edition) – Four Spanish Tourists Missing After Boat Sinks in Komodo National Park
• The Week (India) – Who is Fernando Martin? Valencia women's coach, 3 children go missing in Indonesian boating accident
• The Jakarta Post – Body of Valencia B women’s coach Carreras found in Labuan Bajo
• Bernama – Indonesian Rescuers Recover Body Of Spanish Child In Labuan Bajo Boat Accident
• Agencia EFE (English) – Indonesia reviews maritime safety after sinking of boat carrying missing Spanish tourists
• Indonesian National Police (INP) – The Body of the Missing Child of Sinking KM Putri Sakinah Found
• CNBC Indonesia – Detik-Detik Kapal Pinisi Angkut Turis Tenggelam di Labuan Bajo