JAKARTA: Police on Tuesday (March 24) rescued 64 tourists who were stranded for more than five hours on an island off the coast of Batubara regency, North Sumatra, after their boat ran aground on a coral reef as a result of engine trouble on Monday (March 23) afternoon.
The passengers were evacuated by the Batubara Police Water and Air Police (Polairdu) unit from Salah Nama Island to Tanjung Tiram Port at 2.30am on Tuesday.
Batubara Polairud chief Second Insp Hendrico P. Kaban said the passengers were evacuated using two fishing boats and a Polairud patrol boat.
He said the evacuation process started at 8.30pm after receiving the information at 5pm and that officers departed for Salah Nama Island in the Strait of Malacca at 6pm.
“After sailing for two hours, our personnel found a boat that had run aground,” he said on Tuesday.
“The passengers were stranded not far from the boat’s location near a beach on Salah Nama Island, all were in a safe condition.”
The stranded tourists were then evacuated to Tanjung Tiram, he said, adding that the evacuation process took six hours.
Hendrico said upon arrival in Tanjung Tiram, the tourists were given food and had their health checked before being sent home by bus to their hometowns by the Batubara regency administration.
Salah Nama Island is known for its clear waters and coral reefs, making it one of the most popular tourism sites in Batubara regency.
Batubara Police chief spokesman Adj. Comr. P. Tamba added that the boat had two crew members.
On board were 33 passengers from Medan, North Sumatra, consisting of 13 men, 11 women and nine children.
While 31 passengers from Pekanbaru, Riau, comprised five men, nine women and 17 children.
Tamba said during the trip to Salah Nama Island, the boat engine developed problems before cutting out.
This resulted in seawater entering the boat, causing passengers to panic.
“The passengers spontaneously jumped into the sea and escaped to Salah Nama Island,” he said. “The location of the grounding fortunately was not far from the island.”
Tamba said the police had questioned the boat’s crew to determine the chronology and cause of the boat’s problems.
“They were summoned to Labuhan Ruku Police station for questioning about the accident,” he said. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
