SAR Team Finds Body Of Miner Attacked By Crocodile In Belitung Cerucuk River

The joint SAR team found the body of a tin ore miner who was attacked by a crocodile dead in Sunga Cerucuk, Badau, Belitung. (ANTARA/HO-Humas Pangkalpinang SAR Office)

PANGKALPINANG - The Search and Rescue Team (SAR) of Pangkalpinang City, Bangka Belitung Islands found the body of a tin ore miner who was missing by a crocodile in the Cerucuk River, Belitung Regency.

"We found the victim at around 16:00 WIB around the scene, the victim died in the incident," said Head of the Pangkalpinang Search and Rescue Office (SAR) I Made Oka Astawa as reported by ANTARA, Monday, January 20.

The search for the victim was carried out after his party received information about the incident that happened to a tin ore miner who was missing due to being attacked by a crocodile in the Cerucuk River, Badau Village, Belitung.

This incident began when the victim named Atak (35) on Monday (20/1) at around 10:15 WIB departed walking along the river to head to the tin mining pontoon and worked mining around the river.

While walking to the tin pontoon, suddenly the victim was attacked and dragged into the water, residents around the incident who knew about the incident tried to search, but until 11.30 WIB, the victim was not found.

Then the head of the local RT reported the incident to the Pangkalpinang Search and Rescue Office to ask for help in the search.

Receiving this information, his party immediately dispatched a rescue team from the Belitung SAR Post to the scene. In this search process, his party also involved a joint team consisting of Rescue Belitung SAR Post, Brimob SAR, Police, Firefighters, BPBD, Babinsa, Bhabinkamtibmas assisted by local residents.

The team searched for victims using the method of walking along the river where the incident occurred using a rubber boat, and in an effort to search at around 16:00 WIB, the victim's body was found floating about 10 meters from the location where the victim was attacked by a crocodile.

"The victim died, with bite scars on the right waist, the team then evacuated to Dr Marsidi Judono Tanjungpandan Hospital," he said.

According to him, conflicts between humans and wild predators have recently occurred in the Babel Province, so it is hoped that the community will always be vigilant when carrying out activities in the waters.

"Due to the discovery of the victim, the search and rescue operation was closed, thanks to all the joint SAR elements that helped with this process," he said.