Indonesian rescuers are searching for a speedboat that went missing off Sulawesi island on Saturday, carrying 11 European tourists and two local crew members.
The vessel departed Tanjung Unauna regency on Friday morning, bound for Marisa Port in the neighboring Gorontalo province, but did not arrive as scheduled, according to officials.
A local tour guide reported the boat missing at 3:40 p.m. on Friday, initiating an immediate search operation. "Concerns arose when their speedboat had not arrived by afternoon," said Heriyanto, Head of the Gorontalo Province Search and Rescue Office. "We immediately launched a search mission overnight but until now have not found any signs" of the vessel or its occupants.
The passengers included individuals from Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Belgium, along with two Indonesian crew members.
Search and rescue teams are covering approximately 300 square nautical miles of waters around Tomini Bay, following projected routes of the tour boat. The operation includes the use of a thermal-imaging drone and diving equipment. Rescuers have faced challenging sea conditions on Saturday, with strong winds and waves reaching up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) high, despite generally clear skies forecast by Indonesia's meteorological agency.