Indonesian authorities have formally called off the ten-day search for a young divemaster who vanished when a liveaboard-style dive boat capsized and sank in Komodo National Park, one of Southeast Asia's most popular diving regions.
The vessel, KM Feronia, a traditional Indonesian phinisi-design boat, was travelling from Labuan Bajo's Marina Harbour towards Rinca Island on 13 October when it hit a powerful swirling current. The boat listed sharply to port, overturned and went down near Tatawa Island. On board were 30 people: 25 passengers — 21 of them foreign tourists — and five crew. Twenty-nine were rescued, three with minor injuries.
The one person not accounted for was Veronica Beatrix Jessica, a 23-year-old divemaster from Jakarta. Witnesses told police she had been in the boat's toilet with the door locked at the moment of capsize and could not get out. The captain, who deployed the liferaft and helped passengers into it, reportedly only discovered she was missing when survivors were counted.
What followed was one of the larger search operations the area has seen. Led by the Maumere Search and Rescue Office, it grew from 63 personnel on day two to 226, including 27 divers, with support from the East Nusa Tenggara water police, the Indonesian Navy and Air Force, the boat operator and local volunteers — among them Jessica's friends. The search zone eventually stretched 50 nautical miles from the sinking site, taking in waters around Tatawa, Padar, Siaba Besar and northern Rinca. Navy teams used side-scan sonar, and remotely operated vehicles repeatedly examined the seabed at depths of 80-84 metres. A lifejacket and a scuba tank believed to be from Feronia were recovered near Padar Island, but neither Jessica nor the wreck was found. The operation was officially closed on 22 October, though officials said it could be reopened if new evidence emerges.
For travellers, the incident is a sobering reminder of conditions in Komodo. The straits between the park's islands are famous for strong, unpredictable currents — the very thing that draws experienced divers — and they can overwhelm smaller vessels with little warning. Anyone booking a day boat or liveaboard there should check that the operator provides a safety briefing, functioning lifejackets for everyone on board and clearly accessible emergency exits, and should be cautious in bad weather or during strong tidal swings. Labuan Bajo is the gateway town for Komodo trips, and standards between operators vary widely.
The story also underlines the scale of Indonesia's search-and-rescue network, which can mobilise navy, air force and police assets quickly in remote eastern waters — a fact worth knowing if you dive or sail in the region.
