Fernando Martin, coach of Valencia’s women’s B team, and three of his children have died in a tragic boating accident in Indonesia.
The Spanish technician was 44 years old and was on holiday with his family, on a trip that was supposed to be a celebration, but turned into a nightmare.
Martin had traveled nearly 13,000 kilometers to Labuan Bajo with his wife and four children to spend the Holidays. On Friday evening, the tourist boat in which they were, along with other people, sank in the sea, in an area affected by extremely difficult weather conditions.
“We are deeply saddened. We send our full support to the family!”
There were 11 people on board. After the accident, seven of them were rescued: the coach’s wife, one of the couple’s daughters, a tour guide and four crew members. Fernando Martin and three of his children, two boys and a girl, were reported missing and search operations continued throughout the night and into the next day.
On Saturday, the Valencia CF club confirmed the tragic outcome, announcing that the bodies of the coach and the three children had been found.
“Valencia CF is deeply saddened by the passing of Fernando Martín, coach of the Valencia CF Women’s B team, and three of his children in a tragic accident in Indonesia, as confirmed by local authorities.In these extremely difficult times, the club wishes to send its deepest condolences and full support to his family, friends and colleagues at Valencia CF, Valencia CF Women and the VCF Academy. Rest in peace!”the Spanish club reported.
Severe weather conditions, the cause of the tragedy
Local authorities indicated severe weather conditions as the main cause of the shipwreck. According to the Port Authority of Labuan Bajo, the waves reached heights of up to three meters, making both navigation and the intervention of rescue teams difficult.
“This complicated our task in conducting the initial searches!”said Stephanus Risdiyanto, head of the port authority.
Due to the extreme weather, Padar Island was closed to tourists on Saturday. Maritime accidents are relatively common in Indonesia, a nation of around 17,000 islands, where safety issues and adverse weather conditions often lead to such tragedies.
