Rescue services that were alerted arrived just in time for the holidaymakers to remove from the water. The boat had almost sunk by then. The group was very frightened. A photo released by the rescue services shows, among other things, the scared face of a young Dutch woman.
The speedboat got into trouble on Monday in the waters of Pulau Banyak, in the Indonesian province of Aceh. The boat was suddenly hit by high waves. This happened during a cruise between the island of Balai, the capital of the Pulau Many district, and the tourist island of Palambak Besar, which was the final destination.
Tourist boat with Dutch trainees capsizes near Moluccas
Thanks to the quick response and, according to Indonesian media, the heroic actions of the joint local search and rescue team, the Dutch and two residents of Pulau Banyak were evacuated.
As a result of the incident, the holiday plans of seven Dutch tourists, who had set their sights on a visit to the beautiful region, were literally ruined. They also lost several belongings, including passports. Three were found floating in the water.
The trouble started when the group left Balai Island at 11am towards Palambak Besar Island, using a wooden speedboat. Arriving on Rangit Island an hour later, it was damaged.
The vessel was replaced with a boat made of fiberglass to continue the journey. The weather in the waters of Pulau Besar was stormy. During this period, waves caused by strong winds occur regularly.
Around 1 p.m. a high wave hit the front of the boat, which was seriously damaged and began to sink. Crews of the local boats are, fortunately, well prepared for emergency situations. They are always able to contact a rescue team to ask for help.
The Aceh Singkil SAR Task Force team, based in Pulau Banyak, responded quickly to the emergency call. “Coincidentally, there was one speedboat that was on its way to the island of Balai,” organization spokesperson Yudistira said afterwards.