According to the report of the Head of the Class II Benoa Harbormaster and Port Authority Office (Kesyahbandaran dan Otoritas Pelabuhan or KSOP), the Bali Dolphin Cruise 2 fast boat accident at the entrance to Sanur Port occurred on Tuesday, the 5th of August, at around 3.15 PM local time.
The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation, through the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, has issued a response to the accident.
“We express our condolences for the sinking of the Bali Dolphin Cruise 2 fastboat in the Sanur Port entrance channel, Bali,” said the Ministry’s Director General of Sea Transportation, Muhammad Masyhud, in a written statement on Wednesday, the 6th of August.
According to the chronology of the incident, on Tuesday, the ship departed from Nusa Penida Harbour at around 2.30 PM local time for Sanur Port. Masyhud stated that, according to reports he received, the sea waves were calm throughout the voyage, and the winds were not too strong.
“As the ship was about to enter the Sanur Port entrance channel at 3.10 PM local time and had passed the red and green beacon buoys, the captain manoeuvred the left side of the ship to approach the dock. Suddenly, a wave hit the ship’s left hull, causing it to capsise,” he explained.
In response to the incident, efforts were immediately undertaken to stabilise and secure the site. However, the local harbour master had to temporarily close Sanur Port to support the evacuation and search-and-rescue process. The rescue operation was carried out by the ship’s crew, assisted by KNP 515, RIB SAR Denpasar, and several small vessels located around Sanur Port. The first step was to open the ship’s life rafts to assist in evacuating passengers to shore.
The National Search and Rescue Agency’s Bali Office, which first received information at around 4.25 PM local time, immediately deployed eight personnel. Five went to the scene, and three others used a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB). The joint SAR team, assisted by boats and speedboats owned by local residents, also brought supporting equipment, including a thermal drone, for aerial searches.
Of the 75 passengers, 73 were foreign nationals and two were Indonesian citizens. There were five crew members as well. Two foreign nationals have died, and one Indonesian is still missing.