Komodo Dive-Boat Sinking Leaves Divemaster Missing as Search Expands

A multi-agency search continued in Komodo National Park on October 16 for 23-year-old divemaster Veronica Beatrix Jessica, the only person still missing after the dive boat KM Feronia capsized and sank near Tatawa Island three days earlier.

Indonesian police and search-and-rescue accounts say the 51-gross-ton open-deck vessel carried 30 people. Twenty-nine passengers and crew were rescued, while three foreign visitors were reported injured. Preliminary witness information cited by West Manggarai police suggests Jessica may have been inside the port-side toilet when the vessel rolled over, but the precise sequence has not been established and the wreck had not been located by the end of the fourth search day.

The operation has involved surface searches, current mapping, professional divers and remotely operated underwater equipment. ANTARA reported that 93 personnel and 16 major assets were deployed on October 15. On October 16, officials said 27 divers were searching locations around Tatawa Kecil and Bugis islands. A life jacket identified as belonging to KM Feronia was recovered, but neither Jessica nor the main wreck had been found at the time of the latest report.

Police accounts say the boat encountered strong, rotating currents while returning from the Manta Point area at about 2:30 p.m. local time on October 13. Investigators are examining the sinking, and no final cause or finding of responsibility has been released.

For dive operators and travelling divers, the incident underlines the importance of a vessel-specific emergency briefing before departure: identify every exit from enclosed spaces, confirm that doors can be opened quickly, know where life jackets and flotation are located, and understand the abandon-ship signal. Accurate passenger manifests, prompt headcounts and practiced crew communication can shorten the time between a capsize and recognition that somebody is missing. In strong-current destinations, surface-vessel risk deserves the same seriousness as underwater planning.