13-Year-Old Teen Found Drowned in Sei Belawan River, SAR Team Closes Search Operation

MEDAN - A joint SAR team with Basarnas Medan evacuated a 13-year-old boy who was swept away by the Sei Belawan River, Sunggal District, Deli Serdang Regency.

Head of the Medan Class A Basarnas Office, Hery Marantika, said the victim named Bagus Prayoga was found dead on Saturday at around 18.46 WIB.

"The joint SAR team managed to find the victim not far from the initial location of the incident," Hery said in an official statement received in Medan, Antara, Sunday, March 15.

He explained that the victim had previously been reported to have drowned while bathing in the river with his friends.

While swimming, the victim was allegedly swept away by the river current until he drowned and did not reappear on the surface.

The victim's friends then reported the incident to the surrounding residents. Residents had carried out a search independently, but the victim had not been found.

Information about the incident was then reported by a resident named Lukman to the Medan Search and Rescue Office to ask for search operation assistance.

Following up on the report, Basarnas Medan immediately dispatched a rescue team consisting of seven personnel to the scene.

Upon arrival at the location, the SAR team coordinated with the local government, the community, and the victim's family before conducting an assessment and search around the location.

The search efforts by the joint SAR team finally bore fruit after the victim was found not far from the starting point of the incident.

The victim was then evacuated to land and handed over to the family. For this incident, Basarnas expressed condolences to the victim's family while appreciating the cooperation of all elements involved in the search process.

Basarnas also appealed to the public to be more aware of the risks around rivers, especially during the rainy season when the water flow tends to be more rapid.

With the discovery of the victim, the official search and rescue operation was declared closed. All SAR elements involved were then returned to their respective units.