Inspecting the enigmatic arrival of the Sam Ratulangi off the shores of Myanmar, maritime officers embarked upon the weathered vessel.
This rusty ship, thought to have disappeared more than ten years prior, yielded no signs of crew or cargo during the investigation.
Startled fishermen had observed the phantom-like craft approaching them, compelling them to alert the Coast Guard to the eerie spectacle. After a thorough examination, naval authorities stumbled upon hints aboard the vessel, pinpointing its final journey in 2009.
The presence of two conspicuously hanging cables hinted at an absence, triggering an investigation that ultimately led the team to a tugboat named Independence located nearly 100 kilometers distant.
This tugboat, adorned with a Singaporean flag and manned by an Indonesian crew, was in the process of towing the Sam Ratulangi to a factory in Bangladesh.
Questioning the crew of the tugboat unveiled the narrative that adverse weather conditions had led to the rupture of the tow cables, liberating the ghostly vessel to drift aimlessly.
The proprietor of the tugboat, suspected to be hailing from Malaysia, had acquired the Sam Ratulangi for motives shrouded in uncertainty.
The ongoing investigation underscores the complexities and enigmas inherent in lost ships, emphasizing the vast and unpredictable nature of the oceans they traverse.