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KM Feronia Sinks in Komodo, Dive Master Veronica Still Missing

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 18, 2026•5 min read

The tourist phinisi KM Feronia sank in Komodo on Tuesday (13/10/2026). Of 30 aboard, 29 survived, while dive master Veronica (23) is feared trapped inside.

Key Facts

Selasa (13/10/2026) sore, KM Feronia — kapal pinisi wisata berbobot 51 gross tonnage (GT) — tenggelam di perairan Tatawa Besar/Batu Bolong, Taman Nasional Komodo, Labuan Bajo, Manggarai Barat, NTT, setelah dihantam pusaran arus kuat. Kapal bertolak dari Pelabuhan Marina Labuan Bajo menuju Dermaga Pulau Rinca sekitar pukul 08.00 WITA; insiden terjadi sekitar pukul 14.30 WITA.
Kapal mengangkut 30 orang, terdiri atas 25 penumpang dan lima anak buah kapal (ABK). Sebanyak 29 orang berhasil dievakuasi dengan selamat, sementara tiga wisatawan asing dilaporkan luka-luka dan menjalani perawatan.
Veronica Beatrix Jessica (23), warga negara Indonesia yang bertugas sebagai pemandu selam (dive master) sekaligus tour guide, masih hilang. Ia telah empat tahun tinggal di Labuan Bajo dan bekerja sebagai dive master.
Korban diduga terjebak di toilet kapal yang terkunci dari dalam saat kapal terbalik ke sisi kiri. Kasat Polairud Polres Manggarai Barat IPTU Leonardo Marpaung mengonfirmasi hal tersebut; nakhoda kapal Isran baru menyadari ada penumpang tertinggal setelah menghitung ulang jumlah orang yang dievakuasi.
Operasi SAR gabungan terus berjalan: hari kedua (14/10) 63–82 personel menemukan serpihan (bantal sofa, dampra) dan sebuah tangki selam; hari ketiga (15/10) 104 personel menyelam hingga 40 meter dengan drone bawah air dan memperluas pencarian ke Pulau Padar; hari keempat (16/10) 132 personel menyisir 45,29 mil laut dengan ROV hingga 99 meter dan sonar TNI AL, serta menemukan sehelai jaket keselamatan milik KM Feronia. Korban belum ditemukan.
Kakak kandung dan sepupu Veronica datang dari Jakarta ke Labuan Bajo untuk mengikuti pencarian. Polres Manggarai Barat masih menyelidiki dugaan kelalaian, termasuk soal kestabilan kapal saat melintasi pusaran arus.

KM Feronia Capsizes After Being Struck by Whirlpool in Tatawa Besar

KM (Motor Vessel) Feronia, a tourist phinisi boat weighing 51 gross tonnage (GT), sank in the waters of Tatawa Besar, Komodo National Park area, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on Tuesday (13/10/2026) afternoon. The vessel capsized after being hit by a strong whirlpool current while traversing the area.

The vessel, carrying 30 people — consisting of 25 passengers and five crew members (ABK - ship crew) — departed from Labuan Bajo Marina Port toward Rinca Island Pier at around 08:00 WITA (Central Indonesia Time). Around 14:30 WITA, the ship listed, capsized to the port side, and sank.

Passengers and crew on the upper deck immediately jumped into the sea. The crew deployed an emergency rubber dinghy, and two passing speedboats provided initial assistance. A total of 29 people were successfully evacuated safely, while three foreign tourists were reported injured and received medical treatment.

Veronica Suspected Trapped in Toilet Locked from the Inside

The only person still missing is Veronica Beatrix Jessica (23), an Indonesian national who served as both a dive master and tour guide on the voyage. She was listed 23rd out of 25 passengers on the manifest, alongside 24 international tourists.

Veronica had lived in Labuan Bajo for four years working as a dive master. According to the ship captain, Isran, the passengers were on the upper deck when the incident occurred, while Veronica was suspected to still be inside the ship's toilet.

Head of the Marine and Air Police Unit (Kasat Polairud) of the West Manggarai Police (Polres), Police First Inspector (IPTU) Leonardo Marpaung, stated that the victim was inside the toilet with the door locked from within. “When the ship suddenly capsized to the left, the victim did not have time to escape and sank along with the hull,” he explained. Isran admitted he only realized a passenger was left behind after recounting the number of evacuated guests and guides.

SAR Operation Day Four: 132 Personnel, ROV, and Sonar Deployed

The joint SAR (Search and Rescue) team continued to expand the search. On the second day of the operation, Wednesday (14/10/2026), between 63 and 82 personnel were deployed; the team found debris including sofa cushions and a boat fender belonging to KM Feronia floating in Batu Bolong waters at around 12:10 WITA, as well as a diving cylinder at 15:15 WITA in the waters between Pengah Island and Siaba Besar Island.

Entering the third day, Thursday (15/10/2026), 104 personnel were deployed starting at 06:00 WITA. In addition to surface sweeps, the team dived to depths of around 40 meters and deployed an underwater drone to inspect the shipwreck. The search area was expanded to the waters off Padar Island, but the victim was not found.

On the fourth day, Friday (16/10/2026), the operation involved 132 personnel covering a search area of 45.29 nautical miles. Basarnas (National Search and Rescue Agency) deployed a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) down to a depth of about 99 meters, while the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) used side-scan sonar to scan several points. The team also recovered a life jacket belonging to KM Feronia. By the end of that day's operation, Veronica had not been found.

Family Arrives in Labuan Bajo, Police Probe Alleged Negligence

Veronica's older sibling and cousin traveled from Jakarta to the KSOP (Port Authority and Harbor Master Office) Class III Office in Labuan Bajo to monitor search developments. Both met with officials from KSOP, Basarnas, Polairud, and the West Manggarai Transportation Agency. “They are still in shock,” said an individual who spoke with the victim's family.

Meanwhile, the West Manggarai Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the accident, focusing on alleged negligence, including the vessel's stability when navigating the whirlpool currents in the Tatawa Besar area, known for its strong currents.