Indonesia rescues 11 who swam for hours to survive boat capsize

FILE PHOTO: In this undated photo made from video released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, a flare lights up the sky as rescuers search for survivors after a boat capsized on July 14, leaving a number of people missing, in the waters of Sipora Strait in Mentawai Islands, Indonesia. - BASARNAS via AP

JAKARTA: Indonesian rescuers found alive on Tuesday (July 15) 11 people missing at sea who had survived a boat capsize in bad weather by swimming for at least six hours to the nearest island, officials said.

Two boats and dozens of rescuers hunted for those missing after the boat with 18 aboard overturned off the Mentawai Islands in the province of West Sumatra at about 11 a.m. on Monday, regional officials said.