Body of "Ocean Lark" S Skipper Arrives Home

Makassar, S Sulawesi (ANTARA Sulsel) - The body of Syamsuddin Sabri, skipper of the "Ocean Lark" that sank in Riau Islands waters last Wednesday, arrived at his home here Saturday to hysterical outpourings of sorrow by members of his family.

"All of us are deeply grieved and shocked because we never thought our father would return home in this condition," Rio Putra, Syamsuddin's eldest son said after the completion of burial preparations.

Syamsuddin's body was laid in state at his residence at Puri Taman Sari, Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi province, before it was to be taken to the Panaikang cemetery.

Hundreds of Syamsuddin's relatives broke into hysterical lamentations when his body arrived at his residence.

The skipper's wife, Warlina, even fainted when she opened the coffin that was received from the tugboat's chief officer.

A joint Indonesia-Singapore rescue team that was deployed soon after the Singaporean-flagged vessel had sunk in Riau Islands waters last Wednesday (Jan 6), has so far found seven dead victims.

Dozens of Syamsuddin's former school-mates from the Cruises Polytechnic Sciences or PIP as well as hundreds of his family members paid their last respects at his coffin.

Previously, chief of Tanjung Pinang`s Search and Rescue Office, Bambang Subagyo, in Tanjung Pinang, Riau islands province on Saturday, said that four other people from the ill-fated boat had remained missing.

He said the total number of victims in the incident was 13 with two saved. All victims were earlier brought to Singapore for further identification process since the boat`s agency was based in the city state.

According to the Tanjungpinang SAR service, weather conditions at the scene of the shipwreck kept changing with waves rising to as high as three meters, winds blowing at high speed and skies darkened by thick clouds.

The Ocean Lark was believed to have sunk some time between 10am and 11am local time in Tanjung Berakit waters in Bintan on Wednesday.

(T.SYS/B003)