Valencia soccer coach Fernando Martin, 3 children killed in tragic boat accident

Fernando Martín, a coach with Valencia CF, has died alongside three members of his family after a boat accident in Indonesia, Spanish football clubs have confirmed.

In a statement, Valencia CF said it was “deeply saddened by the passing of Fernando Martín, coach of Valencia CF Femenino B, and three of his children, following the tragic boat accident in Indonesia, as confirmed by local authorities.”

According to Indonesian and Spanish officials, Martín and three of his children were reported missing on Saturday after a boat carrying 11 people capsized amid severe weather on Friday in the Padar Island Strait, near the tourist destination of Labuan Bajo.

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Search efforts were still underway on Sunday morning, Fathur Rahman, mission coordinator for Indonesia’s search and rescue agency in the area, told Reuters.

Real Madrid CF also paid tribute to Martín, 44, who previously played in Spain’s second division and was appointed coach of Valencia’s women’s B team earlier this year.

Authorities said Martín’s wife and one daughter survived the incident, along with four crew members and a tour guide.

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In a statement, the search and rescue agency confirmed that all seven were rescued and are safe.

Rahman, who heads the Maumere Search and Rescue Office, told the Associated Press that three survivors were picked up by a passing vessel, while four others were later rescued by a search and rescue team.

He added that operations were suspended on December 27 due to rough seas and poor visibility but were set to resume on Sunday, December 28, as conditions allowed.