Not Found for a Week, SAR Team Stops Searching for Missing Fisherman in Buton Waters

KENDARI - The Kendari Basarnas joint SAR team stopped the search for a fisherman from Lasalimu Village, Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province (Southeast Sulawesi) La Epo (43), who went missing in Lasalimu waters.

Head of Basarnas Kendari Muhammad Arafah said that his party carried out a search process for the seventh day for the victim on Monday (7/8), but there were no signs of the victim's whereabouts.

"Considering that the SAR operation has entered its seventh day and no signs of victims have been found, the SAR operation for one person who fell from a ship and disappeared in Lasalimu waters was declared closed," Arafah said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, August 8.

He said the search operation could be reopened if signs of the victim's whereabouts were found. "All elements involved in the search for victims will be returned to their respective units," he said.

Previously, Basarnas Kendari dispatched a SAR Team to search for a missing fisherman in Lasalimu Waters, Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province.

Head of Basarnas Kendari Muhammad Arafah said that the missing fisherman in Lasalimu waters named La Epo (43), a resident of Lasalimu Village, was first informed that he was missing by the Head of Lasalimu Pantai Village.

"Mr. Hanudin reported that there had been a ship accident, in which one person fell from the ship and disappeared around Lasalimu Waters, on Tuesday (1/8) at around 21.56 WITA," said Arafah.

He revealed that based on the report, his party sent the Wakatobi SAR Post Rescue Team to the location by using a rubber boat to provide SAR assistance. The distance to the location reported by the Wakatobi SAR Post is around 19 nautical miles.

He explained that the last time he saw the victim was when La Epo and five of his colleagues were about to go out to sea to look for fish in Lasalimu waters around 04.00 WITA.