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boat carrying five passengers capsized in bad weather in waters around Hinako Island, West Nias regency, North Sumatra, on Wednesday night. Three of the passengers were priests.

Four passengers were rescued, having reportedly drifted at sea for almost 12 hours. Priest and North Nias regency legislative councilor Herman Baeha had yet to be found as of Thursday afternoon.

North Sumatra Police spokesperson, Adj. Sr. Comr. MP Nainggolan, said the survivors had been found on two separate islands in West Nias waters. The two priests were found stranded on Asu Island at 3 a.m. on Thursday. The boat owners Syahnan and Jimmy had been found stranded on Bogi Island the same morning.

The four survivors have returned home, Nainggolan said, adding that the search for the missing priest continued.

“A joint team continues to search for him,” Nainggolan told The Jakarta Post, Thursday.

He said that the three priests had hired Syahnan’s boat for a fishing trip to Bogi Island. Five minutes after leaving Hinako pier, the boat had been hit by strong winds triggered by bad weather.

“They all swam together in the direction of Bogi Island, but the strong winds reportedly separated the group,” Nainggolan said.