He told rescue officials to be meticulous in their efforts and that information regarding the fire should be released to the public.

The 911 call came through at 1:39 a.m., and an ambulance arrived four minutes later, a rescue official said.

He was soon hugging rescue officials by name on camera and talking authoritatively about the joy of the morning.

"It doesn't matter whether people still have homes or they don't," a rescue official said.

"Conditions are terrible," a rescue official said.

Al arrives to a safe landing point, where he is recruited by rescue officials to fly back to the island.

A local radio reporter quoted rescue officials as saying they were hesitant to move into the isolated site because leftist guerrillas operate in the region.

Indonesian rescue officials said seven bodies had so far been recovered and 57 people had been saved.

If so, it will give rescue officials hope that Plant may still be alive.

By late on Sunday afternoon, only a quarter of the vessel had been searched, according to one rescue official.