Searches For Victims Dragged By Waves Of Bridge Beach Panjang Malang Stopped, 2 People Still Missing

The location of the disappearance of five tourists on Panjang Bridge Beach, located in Sumber Bening Village, Bantar District, Malang Regency, East Java, Saturday (8/7/2023). ANTARA/HO-Humas Malang Police

The search operation for two victims who were swept away by waves on Panjang Bridge Beach, Bantr District, Malang Regency, East Java conducted by a joint team was officially stopped. Head of Basarnas Surabaya Muhamad Hariyadi said the search for victims dragged by the waves on Panjang Bridge Beach was officially closed on Friday (14/7) or seven days after the disappearance of the five tourists. "We have closed the search operation on Friday (14/7) in accordance with the SOP," said Hariyadi as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, July 15. For information, on Saturday (8/7), five tourists were reported to have been swept away by the waves on the Panjang Bridge Beach Beach, which is located in Sumber Bening Village. Three of the five victims, have been found, two in a safe condition and one other died. Meanwhile, for the other two victims, namely JOS, a Swiss citizen is 24 years old and BP is a resident of Jalan Tirtomulyo, Kolagen Village, Tajinan District, Malang Regency, until the search operation is closed, it is still not found. Hariyadi explained, even though the search operation has been closed, but if the local community sees or finds signs of the victim's whereabouts, then the search can be carried out again. In addition, based on information received from the family of the WNA victims from Switzerland will also arrive in Indonesia. If there is a special request, then further search efforts will be made to pay attention to the safety factor. "The information is thus (the family will go to Malang), we will consider based on weather conditions in the field. If there are signs and special requests, we will later try to pay attention to safety factors," he said. In the implementation of the search operation during the seven days, one of the joint team's weather conditions that could have changed in a short time and the victims were expected to have been swept away too far away. The total personnel are combined. The first weather is changing and then the victim is expected to be lost too far away," he said.

Three of the five victims who were swept away by the waves on the Panjang Bridge Beach, have been found by a joint team. Two victims named M Ruspandi and a Spanish foreigner, Ana Brieva Ramirez (24) were found safe. Ruspandi was found by a joint team on Saturday (8/7) at approximately 17.30 WIB, and Ana Ramirez was found the next day at 10.45 WIB. While the other, I Made Indraprastha was found dead at Popoh Beach, Tulungagung Regency on Tuesday (11/7). The incident began when the two foreigners had difficulty pulling over while swimming on the Panjang Bridge Beach. Three Indonesian citizens who are tour guides namely I Made Indraprastha, BP and Pendik or M Ruspandi tried to help the two foreigners. However, at the time it would help the two foreigners the big waves hit them and in the end the five people were dragged into the middle of the sea.