A family vacation in Indonesia turned to tragedy when a Spanish father and his three children disappeared after their tourist boat sank near Komodo Island. The victims are a 44-year-old man and his three sons, aged 12, 10, and 9, from Valencia.

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According to a statement from the Indonesian search and rescue agency (SAR), the father and children are missing and presumed to be Spanish nationals. The mother, their 7-year-old daughter, four crew members, and a tour guide were all rescued and safely evacuated to Labuan Bajo. All survivors have been declared out of danger.

The incident occurred near Padar Island, east of Bali, at 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Indonesian authorities reported that an unpredictable meteorological anomaly caused sudden high waves, which caused the wooden boat, named KM Putri Sakinah, to capsize, break in two, and sink.

Valencia coach Martin and three of his children have sadly passed away.

Martin and his family were on board a tourist boat off the coast of Indonesia when it was struck by 10ft waves.

The ferry is reported to have had 11 people on board at the time it sank in the Padar Island… pic.twitter.com/ECTDJuGvFW

— Osinakachi (@kelvinskins) December 28, 2025

The father, who is a coach for Valencia Femenino B, was in the cabins with the three boys at the time of the accident. The mother and their 7-year-old daughter were on the upper deck. According to the grandfather of the missing children, the mother and daughter were thrown clear and rescued quickly in good condition.

However, the husband and the three boys were trapped in the lower part of the vessel as it sank. The grandfatherof the children stated that there is “very little hope” of finding them alive and acknowledged that if the bodies are not recovered within three days, they will be declared deceased.

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A preliminary report indicated the boat, a traditional Indonesian passenger vessel about 20 meters long, experienced engine failure. According to Times Indonesia, the boat was carrying 11 people, including crew, tour guides, and foreign tourists.

-Thailand News (TN)