RRI.CO.ID, Selayar - A joint search and rescue (SAR) team rescued five survivors from the sinking of MV Nurul Salsa in the waters of South Sulawesi, all of whom were found alive. The vessel, containing 78 passengers, was sunk off the Selayar Islands Regency on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, and the team is still looking for missing victims.

"At 6:10 p.m. Central Indonesia Time (WITA), the joint SAR team received information from the Chairman of the South Sulawesi Provincial Chapter of the Indonesian Fishermen's Association (HNSI), Andi Irwan Darmawan Aras, that five survivors had been found," Head of the Makassar Search and Rescue Office, Muhammad Arif Anwar, said as quoted from Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency on Sunday, July 19, 2026.

The five survivors were located on Saturday night, July 18, 2026, near Matallang Island within South Sulawesi. They had been drifting at sea and managed to stay alive by clinging to a fishermen's rompong, a floating fish-aggregating platform.

"(Of) the five victims, one is male, and four are female," Arif said, adding that the survivors ranged in age from 7 to 62 years old.

Arif explained that the survivors were evacuated by three SAR vessels to Benteng Port, where they would undergo medical examinations. He said their ability to hold onto the fishermen's rompong was a crucial factor in their survival until they were spotted by a passing vessel near the area.

"This discovery has boosted the morale of all members of the joint SAR team, who are continuing the search for the remaining victims. We hope that more victims can still be found alive," he added.

As of Monday, July 20, 2026, 59 of the 78 passengers had been rescued, while more than a dozen others remained missing. Recently, three passengers died while they tried to survive on a cork, and they were thrown into the sea as they started to decompose.