Indonesian rescuers search for missing speedboat with 11 European tourists and 2 local crew members

PALU, Indonesia -- PALU, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers are searching for a speedboat carrying 11 European tourists and two local crew members that went missing off a bay on Sulawesi island, officials said Saturday.

The vessel departed Tanjung Unauna regency on Friday morning bound for Marisa Port in the neighboring Gorontalo province but failed to arrive as scheduled, said Heriyanto, Head of the Gorontalo Province Search and Rescue Office.

A local tour guide reported the missing boat to the search and rescue office at 3:40 p.m. on Friday, prompting an immediate search operation, said Heriyanto, who, like many Indonesians, uses a single name.

“Concerns arose when their speedboat had not arrived by afternoon,” Heriyanto said. “We immediately launched a search mission overnight but until now have not found any signs" of the vessel or people on board.

A Czech man, a Belgian man, five Dutch nationals, three Germans, a French woman and two Indonesian crew members were on board, according to Indonesian authorities.

Heriyanto said dozens of search and rescue teams were deployed in a search operation covering approximately 300 square nautical miles of waters along and around Tomini Bay based on the tour boat’s route projections. A thermal-imaging drone and diving equipment are also being used in the search, he said.

Indonesia's meteorological agency forecast generally clear skies in the area, but rescuers on Saturday have faced challenging sea conditions, including strong winds and waves reaching up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) high.