The SAR Team For The Evacuation Of The Elderly Bodies Of Toraja Residents Who Disappeared For 10 Days In The Forest

Evacuation of the body of victim Grandpa Lamba after the joint SAR Team was found after being reported missing for 10 days in the middle of the forest, Lembang Sarapeang, Tanah Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi/ANTARA/HO-Documentation Basarnas

The joint Search And Rescue (SAR) team finally managed to find the body of a Tana Toraja resident named Lamba, aged 80 years in the middle of the forest after being declared missing for ten days.

"The victim was found dead about 8 kilometers from the scene. The joint SAR team has evacuated the victim's body," said Head of Makassar Basarnas Section and Operations Andi Sultan as reported by ANTARA, Friday, August 11.

The victim was reported missing from the family since Wednesday (2/8) while going gardening in Lembang area, Renmbong Village, Sarapeang, Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi (Sulsel).

Furthermore, the joint SAR team conducted a search, but it was not found. The search began on August 2, 2023, and the new victim was found on Friday, August 11, 2023.

The late Grandpa Lamba, known to the local community, called Ambe Lopo, was found after the joint SAR team searched the forest area.

Tana Toraja Police Chief AKBP Malpa Malacoppo confirmed that 80-year-old (elderly) who had previously been reported missing were finally found dead.

The discovery was based on information received by personnel from a resident named Agustina Ratte who found a red box shirt combination of brown and blue orange box sarong in one of the garden huts in Malapare Tulalanggi, Lembang Sarapeang.

From this information, the joint SAR team then searched the location where the victim's clothes were found and the family confirmed that the clothes were worn by the victim before they disappeared in the forest.

"The victim's child told the Basarnas Team and Saluputti Police personnel that it was true that the clothes and sarongs were what the victim was wearing when he left the house," said the police chief.

From these clues, the joint SAR team moved quickly and finally found the victim's body about eight kilometers from the discovery of the victim's clothes at the local hut. After being found, the deceased's body was evacuated and handed over to the family for the funeral process.