2 Missing Tourists Hit By Waves On Cemara Beach, Kebumen

Illustration of drowning (ANTARA)

CILACAP - The Cilacap Search and Rescue Office deployed SAR officers to search for two people who on Saturday, September 23, were reported to have drowned in the southern waters of Kebumen Regency, Central Java Province.

"The time and location of the sinking of the two victims were different, but they were still in the southern waters of Kebumen," said Head of the Cilacap Search and Rescue Office Adah Sudarsa in Cilacap, Sunday, September 24.

According to reports submitted to the Search and Rescue Office, residents who were reported to have drowned in the southern waters of Kebumen, namely Ferdy (14), residents of Penusupan Village, Sruweng District, Kebumen Regency, and Slamet Suprianto (36), residents of Sidoharjo Village, Puring District, Kebumen Regency.

Ferdy reportedly swam with his colleague, Ikhwan Fuad Mufid (13), on the outskirts of Cemara Sewu Beach in Karangreja Village, Pelanahan District, Kebumen Regency, on Saturday (23/9) at around 07.00 WIB.

As they swam, the waves suddenly came and dragged Mufid's body, a resident of Kejawang Village in Sruweng District.

"Ferdy, who saw the incident, tried to help Mufid, but finally the two children were dragged by the waves," said Adah.

"Mufid can be saved after receiving help from volunteers and residents, while Ferdy has not been found," he added.

Meanwhile, the unfortunate incident that happened to Slamet Suprianto was reported to the Search and Rescue Office on Saturday (23/9) afternoon.

Slamet reportedly departed from his house to catch fish at Silumut Beach on Friday (22/9) at around 17.30 WIB, but until 20.00 WIB he had not been seen spreading the net.

Slamet's colleagues did not see him at the previous location at 23.00 WIB.

"The next day, Saturday (23/9), at around 08.00 WIB, the victim's colleagues saw Slamet's net floating 300 meters east of the last location visible," said Adah.

According to him, at the last location, the victim was seen by his colleagues, only a motorcycle and net marker belonging to Slamet were found, so it was suspected that he had drowned on Silumut Beach.

Adah said that the Search and Rescue Office had dispatched two rescue teams to search for two people who were reported to have drowned in the southern waters of Kebumen.

"Today we and the joint SAR team are still conducting sweeps at each of the scene to find and help the two victims," he said.

Head of the Technician Group of the Tunggul Wulung Meteorological Station in Cilacap, Teguh Wardoyo, said that waves as high as 2.5 to four meters still have the opportunity to appear in the southern waters of West Java to the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) and the Indian Ocean south of West Java and DIY.

"Therefore, we again issued an early warning of high waves in the southern waters of West Java-DIY and the southern Indian Ocean of West Java-DIY which took effect on September 24-25, 2023," he said.

He appealed to operators and users of sea transportation services to pay attention to the high risk of waves to shipping safety.

Tourists visiting the southern coast of West Java and DIY are advised not to play in the water or swim on the beach which is directly connected to the high seas for safety.