Australians Drift To Lombok Strait, SAR Team Rescues

Australians rescued by the SAR Team/ Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The joint search and rescue (SAR) team succeeded in rescuing David Williamson (63), an Australian citizen who was swept into the waters of the Lombok Strait, West Nusa Tenggara, early Sunday, at 02.00 WITA.

Head of the Mataram SAR Office, Nanang Sigit PH in Mataram, said The Jonit Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) submitted a report through the National SAR Agency (Basarnas), on Friday, August 19 at 12.00 WITA, that a survivor named David Williamson (63) had drifted from around the area. 600 kilometers southeast of Christmas Island Indian Ocean.

David was swept away by the current while doing activities in Australian waters using a kayak (a small human-powered boat).

"The victim was rescued by the MV Haizhu Flourish which was heading to China," said Nanang while on board the Rescue Boat (RB) 220 Mataram.

The Singapore-flagged cargo ship, he said, changed its route to a pre-determined coordinate point by the Mataram SAR Office, namely in the waters of the Lombok Strait.

On Saturday, August 20, at 21.30 WITA, a joint SAR team consisting of 28 personnel from the Mataram SAR Office, ABK RB 220 Mataram, Water and Air Police from the NTB Regional Police, and KPP Lembar headed for the meeting point using the RB 220 Mataram ship.

However, high sea waves at predetermined locations hampered the evacuation process of moving survivors from the MV Haizhu Flourish to RB 220 Mataram.

"We tried to shift the location of the intercept, and at 02.00 WITA or Sunday morning, the survivors were successfully evacuated," said Nanang while leading the search and rescue operation.

Next, David Williamson was taken to Gili Mas Harbor, Labuan Tereng, Lembar District, West Lombok Regency, and arrived safely at 03.19 WITA, then handed over to the authorities.