Speedboat driver lost when picks up ship workers

Kotabaru, S Kalimantan 1/8 (AntaranewsKalsel) - A speedboat operator was reported missing on the way to a ship in the waters of Tanjung Pemancingan, Kotabaru, South Kalimantan.

Kotabaru Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner (AKBP) H Suhasto through Water Police Unit (Satpolair) Chief AKP Tony Hartono here on Tuesday said after receiving the report of the missing of Iskandar (43), the speedboat driver, police questioned a number of witnesses.

"Based on the testimony of the fisherman who found the last position of the speedboat, we opened the map to determine the coordinates where the speedboat was found as a direction of searching the victim," he explained.

Satpolair also coordinated with related authorities. A combined team of Search and Rescue (SAR) is planned to go down to search for the victim on Wednesday (2/8) morning.

Base on information collected, Iskandar (43), a resident of Jalan Hilir Muara, North Pulaulaut, went with his four fellow speedboat operators on Tuesday (1/8) at 03.00.

They were going to pick up the loading and unloading employees on the Queen Marine MV cargo ship. Iskandar departed first, but he never reached the ship.

"The others had arrived, he did not. Don't know where, but he went first," said the victim's son, Novi.

In the afternoon the speedboat found, but without the driver. The family then reported this incident to Kotabaru Water Police Unit.

Meanwhile, according to the owner of the speedboat, Bakhtiar, the victim lost contact 15 minutes after departing. After that his cell phone died. Search is done but the result is nil.

"Some people saw the speedboat running slowly, but there was no operator," he said.

Iskandar's speedboat was eventually discovered by Yunus (37), a fisherman who lived in the same village with the victim. Around 10:30 Yunus who was about to go to the sea saw the speedboat was floating without a driver.

"I thought only a speedboat that drifted, then I pull to take to Kotabaru. In the way, I met people who were looking for the speedboat," he said.

The victim's speedboat was found around the waters of Tanjung Pemancingan in good condition. A life jacket was piled under the steering wheel. The speedboat is now secured in Satpolair Post at Panjang Port.