Unimed Student Dies When Swept Away While Swimming In The Sirahar River

DOK Tim SAR

MEDAN - Unimed student Rahul Siringo-ringo (18) was swept away by the Sirahar River, Pusuk 2 Village, Humbang Hasundutan (Humbahas) Regency.

This resident of Dusun 5 Sosor Natam Pusuk I, Parlilitan District, Humbahas Regency, was swept away by the river current while swimming with 5 of his friends.

During the incident, Sunday, September 12, the weather around the location was raining with heavy intensity, causing the river to overflow. As a result, the victim and 5 of his colleagues were dragged and trapped on the riverbank.

From that incident, 5 of the victim's colleagues were able to save themselves. However, the victim was lost in the current of the river.

Friends of the victims who survived immediately reported the incident to local residents and to BPBD Humbahas.

The Coordinator of the Parapat SAR Post for Lake Toba, Hisar Turnip, said the search was carried out by a joint SAR team along the side of the river. The search was complicated by slippery conditions and the large number of trees in the search location.

"This morning at around 09.30 WIB, the joint SAR team managed to find the victim not far from the initial location, the victim drifted about 50 meters away, in a state of death," said Hisar, Monday, September 13.

However, the steep location around the river became an obstacle for the team to evacuate victims from the river. Moreover, the depth of the river bank is estimated to reach 100 meters with a slope of more than 90 degrees, making it difficult for the team to lift victims from the water.

"The field conditions in the field made it difficult for the team to evacuate victims. The team had to make a rigging system to make it easier to evacuate victims from the river to pack victims into body bags under the ravine," he said.

He explained that his party was only able to evacuate the victims at 13.30 WIB.

"Then we leave it to the family to be buried at the funeral home," he explained.