2 Boy Drowning While Playing Used Tires In River: 1 Found Dead

The SAR team is looking for drowning victims/ Photo: ANTARA

The joint SAR team combed the flow of the Bondeng River in Tiudan Village, Gondang District, Tulungagung, East Java to look for one missing boy after drowning while playing with water, Sunday, December 7.

The search was carried out using two rubber boats belonging to BPBD and the Tulungagung Damkar, assisted by land sweeping by officers and volunteers.

The Operations Commander of the Trenggalek SAR Post Basarnas, Fitra Atmakasanda, said that one of the two victims, Rangga (11), was found dead after floating about 300 meters from the starting point of the incident.

Meanwhile, another child, Rizal (11), has not been found until the afternoon.

"The search was carried out using the method of sweeping water using two rubber boats, as well as sweeping the land by a joint team. However, until the afternoon the victim had not been found," said Fitra.

According to him, the search process was hampered by the characteristics of the Bondeng River which was filled with underwater obstacles.

Many other hyacinth and obstacle plants make it difficult for the team to search the submerged area of the victim. The depth of the river also varies from 1.5 to 4 meters.

"The river area is quite challenging because there are many underwater obstacles, the flow also changes. We have combed the points that have the potential to become route, but the results are still nil," he said.

The search was halted by evening according to safety operations standards and will resume Monday morning.

Fitra said the focus of tomorrow's search remains through the water route using rubber boats, as well as land routes to monitor vulnerable points that are suspected to be the movement of currents carrying victims.

"It is suspected that the victim has not been swept away from the sinking point, because the current conditions tend to be calm. Tomorrow the search will be maximized again," he said.

The incident occurred when three children (Rizal, Rangga, and Daffa) said goodbye to their respective parents to go fishing on the Bondeng River.

But upon arrival at the river, they found tires in the car and decided to play with the water on the tires.

When Rizal and Rangga climbed the tires and entered the river, the tires capsized.

The two children who were suspected of not being able to swim immediately drowned at the bottom of the river. Daffa ran for help from residents, until finally Rangga was found dead.

Meanwhile, Rizal is still being searched today.