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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Disasters & Emergencies

SAR Team Searches for 10-Year-Old Boy Drowned in South Sumatra River

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • A 10-year-old boy is missing and presumed drowned in the Selabung River in South Ogan Komering Ulu, South Sumatra.
  • Another 10-year-old boy, Rahmat Kuncoro, was found dead by locals after the two were swept away by a strong river current while swimming.
  • Search and rescue teams are actively looking for the missing boy, Ardiansyah, while authorities urge increased public vigilance around waterways.

Search and rescue teams are currently scouring the Selabung River in South Ogan Komering Ulu, South Sumatra, for a 10-year-old boy who went missing after reportedly drowning. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when Ardiansyah bin Sapari and another boy, Rahmat Kuncoro bin Satiro, also 10 years old, were swimming in the river.

According to the Basarnas (National Search and Rescue Agency), the two boys, along with their younger siblings, went to swim in the river after school. Strong river currents are suspected to have swept Ardiansyah and Rahmat away. Their younger siblings managed to escape and alerted nearby residents.

We received the report of the incident at 7:15 PM and immediately deployed a rescue team to the location.

— Raymond KonstantinConfirming the timeline of the SAR response.

Local residents were able to find Rahmat Kuncoro's body around 4:50 PM, but Ardiansyah remained missing. The SAR team from Palembang was deployed after receiving the report at 7:15 PM and immediately began their search operations. The team is covering a 10-kilometer radius from the incident's starting point using rafting boats and is prepared to conduct underwater searches if conditions permit.

The joint SAR team is sweeping the water surface using rafting boats with a search area radius of up to 10 kilometers from the initial point of the incident.

— BasarnasDescribing the ongoing search efforts.

Raymond Konstantin, Head of the Palembang SAR Office, assured that his team is exerting maximum effort while prioritizing the safety of the rescue personnel. The operation involves a joint effort from Basarnas, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), and local community members.

Following the tragic incident, Basarnas issued a warning to the public, urging increased caution when near water bodies. Parents are particularly advised to closely supervise their children and prohibit them from swimming in rivers unsupervised, especially during periods of strong currents. The agency also reminded the public to contact the emergency number 115 for any life-threatening situations.

The public is urged to always increase vigilance when activities are carried out around water areas.

— BasarnasIssuing a safety warning to the public.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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