Overview
- Rescue teams found an adult male at 8:47 a.m. local time near Rinca Island about 2 km from the sinking site, after earlier locating a second corpse in the wider search area.
- NTT police said the recovered body is a Spanish man and transported it to the Komodo Regional Hospital for identification under disaster victim protocols.
- Authorities extended the operation by three days to keep searching for the missing children, Quique, 10, and Mateo, 9.
- Basarnas has mounted one of its largest missions in the area, deploying 152 personnel, 17 vessels and side-scan sonar across more than 60 nautical miles.
- Police have opened an inquiry and interviewed 17 witnesses as experts question mechanical-failure claims and point to potential crew or operator negligence; the Labuan Bajo tourist port remains closed through Jan. 6 due to severe weather warnings.