It's Been 7 Days, SAR Operations Search 2 Missing Students At Guha Garut Beach Stopped

The joint SAR team stopped the search operation for two tourists with student status who had been missing since last week at Puncak Guha Beach, Garut Regency, West Java.

"Because we have carried out SAR operations for seven days, according to standard operating procedures (SOPs), the SAR operation was closed for seven days," said Head of the Garut Police and Air Unit (Satpolairud) Iptu Aep Saprudin when contacted by cell phone in Garut, Sunday, July 27, confiscated by Antara.

He said the two missing victims were students of the Indonesian Cooperative Institute (Ikopin), namely Oka Mahbubu Rijal (22) a resident of Brebes Regency, Central Java and Ripan Muhamad Yusup (20) a resident of Sumedang Regency, West Java.

The two victims, he said, were carried away by the waves while swimming at Puncak Guha Beach, Bungbulang District, Garut, Sunday (20/7), during seven days the SAR Team searched, but had not yet been found.

"We have tried our best, at all costs, all methods have also been implemented, but until the end of the SAR operation the joint team has not produced results," he said.

He said that although the search operation was closed, his party and local volunteers and the community would continue to monitor if they received information and knew the whereabouts of the victims would be reported immediately.

"We from Satpolairud together with colleagues, volunteers, local communities continue to monitor, perhaps there are signs of the existence of two victims," he said.

The Daily Executive Head of the Operations and Alert Section of the Bandung Search and Rescue Office, Mamang Fatmono, added that the SAR Team had carried out the search optimally according to the SOP, such as using vertical rescue equipment, followed by visual observations of the coast using unmanned aircraft.

Furthermore, he said, the search was also carried out by observing along the beach or using a boat, but had not yet found the whereabouts of the two victims. Meanwhile, the victim's family after being mediated received the closure of the victim's search operation.

"All SAR elements return to their respective units and SAR operations will be reopened, if there are any signs of finding victims," he said.

Previously, there were three tourists who were dragged by the waves while swimming at Puncak Guha Beach, one person was rescued and immediately taken to the Caringin Health Center, while two people were missing.