11 European tourists rescued after speedboat vanishes in Indonesia's Tomini Bay
Synopsis
Eleven European tourists vanished in Indonesia's Tomini Bay after their speedboat failed to reach port — and were found alive the next morning after a three-unit sweep. The boat's captain is still missing. The incident coincides with Indonesia suspending a separate search for 14 people lost when the KM Nurul Salsa sank off South Sulawesi, highlighting the archipelago's persistent maritime safety crisis.
Key Takeaways
11 European tourists and one crew member were rescued alive from Tomini Bay , off Gorontalo province , on Saturday, 26 July 2025 .
The speedboat departed a dive resort in Central Sulawesi on Friday, bound for Gorontalo, and failed to arrive by its scheduled 11:00 am arrival time.
The rescued group was evacuated to Tojo Una-Una Regency in Central Sulawesi by a joint rescue team.
The missing boat captain has not yet been found; search operations are ongoing.
In a separate incident, Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency suspended the search for 14 missing persons from the sunken vessel KM Nurul Salsa after a 10-day operation off South Sulawesi .
Of 76 people aboard KM Nurul Salsa, 58 were rescued and 4 were found dead ; the vessel sank on 15 July due to engine failure.
Indonesian search and rescue teams located 11 European tourists and one crew member alive on Saturday, 26 July 2025, after the speedboat carrying them disappeared in the waters of Tomini Bay off Gorontalo province in eastern Indonesia. The group was evacuated to Tojo Una-Una Regency in Central Sulawesi, authorities confirmed.
How the Rescue Unfolded
The speedboat departed from a dive resort in Central Sulawesi on Friday morning, bound for a port in Gorontalo. It was scheduled to arrive by 11:00 am local time but failed to reach its destination, triggering an immediate search response. Heriyanto, head of the Gorontalo Search and Rescue Office, said his team received the distress report on Friday and launched operations without delay.
By early Saturday, joint rescue teams had resumed sweeps, deploying three search units across the vessel's estimated route and surrounding waters. All 11 tourists and the crew member were subsequently located and brought to safety.
Search for Missing Captain Continues
Despite the successful recovery of the passengers and crew member, search operations are continuing for the missing boat captain, Heriyanto confirmed. The waters of Tomini Bay, known for their depth and strong currents, present a significant challenge for ongoing rescue efforts.
A Separate Maritime Tragedy Off South Sulawesi
This rescue comes amid a broader pattern of maritime incidents in Indonesian waters. In a separate development, the National Search and Rescue Agency on Friday suspended its search for 14 people still unaccounted for after the passenger vessel KM Nurul Salsa sank off South Sulawesi province on 15 July.
The vessel, which was travelling from Jampea Island to Benteng, sank following engine failure. Of the 76 people confirmed on board, 58 were rescued, four were found dead, and 14 remain missing. Authorities suspended the operation after a 10-day search exhausted all designated search areas without yielding new leads. Officials stated that evacuation efforts would resume if fresh information emerged.
Indonesia's Recurring Maritime Safety Challenge
Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, has long grappled with maritime safety concerns. Overcrowded vessels, ageing fleets, and unpredictable sea conditions in inter-island waters have contributed to recurring incidents. The near-simultaneous occurrence of the Tomini Bay speedboat disappearance and the KM Nurul Salsa sinking underscores the persistent risks facing both domestic travellers and foreign tourists navigating Indonesian waters.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the nationalities of the 11 European tourists involved in the Tomini Bay incident. As the search for the missing captain continues, the incident is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of safety protocols at dive resorts operating speedboat transfers in the region.
Point of View
But the missing captain and the suspended KM Nurul Salsa search together paint a grimmer picture of Indonesia's maritime safety record. Indonesia's inter-island water transport sector remains chronically under-regulated — ageing vessels, inadequate life-saving equipment, and lax departure protocols are recurring findings in post-incident reviews. The fact that a dive resort speedboat carrying foreign tourists could go missing without triggering faster alerts points to gaps in real-time vessel tracking, which Indonesia's maritime authority has pledged to fix multiple times. Until enforcement catches up with policy, these incidents will keep recurring.
NationPress
25 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the European tourists in Indonesia's Tomini Bay?
Eleven European tourists and one crew member were rescued alive on 26 July 2025 after their speedboat went missing in Tomini Bay off Gorontalo province in eastern Indonesia. The boat had departed a dive resort in Central Sulawesi on Friday morning and failed to reach its scheduled destination in Gorontalo.
Who led the rescue operation in Tomini Bay?
A joint search and rescue team coordinated by the Gorontalo Search and Rescue Office led the operation. Heriyanto, head of the office, confirmed that three search units were deployed across the vessel's estimated route and surrounding waters early on Saturday.
Has the boat's captain been found?
No. As of Saturday, the boat's captain remains missing and search operations are continuing in Tomini Bay. Authorities have not provided further details on the captain's identity or the circumstances of the disappearance.
What is the KM Nurul Salsa incident?
KM Nurul Salsa was a passenger vessel that sank off South Sulawesi province on 15 July after suffering engine failure while travelling from Jampea Island to Benteng. Of 76 people on board, 58 were rescued, 4 were found dead, and 14 remain missing. Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency suspended the search after 10 days when all designated areas were covered without new leads.
Why are maritime incidents common in Indonesia?
Indonesia is an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, and inter-island water transport is essential for millions of people. Ageing vessels, overcrowding, inadequate safety equipment, and unpredictable sea conditions contribute to recurring accidents. Regulatory enforcement of maritime safety standards has been inconsistent across the country's vast coastline.
