Deploy Underwater Search Equipment, SAR Still Hasn't Found A Teenager Drowning In The Cianjur Citata Reservoir

Bandung Basarnas together with joint officers conducted a search for missing teenagers drowning in the Cirata Reservoir, Mande District, Cianjur Regency, West Java, Monday (18/12/2023). (ANTARA/Ahmad Fikri). (Ahmad Fikri)

The joint SAR team held a search operation for Empung (14), a teenager who was reported missing and drowned in Cirata Reservoir, Mande District, Cianjur, West Java (West Java), Monday 18 December.

Head of Bandung Basarnas Herry Marantika said that in his search the SAR team was equipped with rubber boats, Aqua Eye or the main detection of victims drowning in the river.

"The team is also equipped with drones and underwater search tools, so they can easily find the location of the drowning victims, in addition to the central and edge sweep of the reservoir with joint officers consisting of BPBD, PMI, TNI/Polri and local fishermen," he said in Cianjur, Monday, December 18, confiscated by Antara.

Previously, he continued, Basarnas Bandung received a report from local residents regarding a teenager who was fishing with two of his friends, drowned, his two friends had searched with residents but to no avail.

"Residents reported this to the Bandung Basarnas who immediately sent officers in coordination with a joint team in Cianjur to conduct a search," he said.

PMI Cianjur Field Coordinator, Deni Rismanda, said that joint officers were immediately divided into several groups to conduct a quick search starting from the middle of the reservoir with rubber boats and reservoir edges using fishing boats.

The search for the first day has not yielded results, until Monday evening, officers have not been able to find any signs of casualties even though the search distance was carried out with a radius of more than 1 kilometer from the first location where the victim was reported missing.

"The search will be maximized tomorrow because before the evening the weather is not friendly so it can threaten the safety of officers plus night searches are difficult to do because of the lack of lighting," he said.