BULELENG, BNEWSID — The search for a teenager who drowned at Mengening Waterfall has come to a tragic end. The joint SAR team discovered the victim, 15-year-old Gede Angga Putra Pratama, deceased on Friday (21/11/2025) at around 10:30 WITA. The search began earlier at 09:45 WITA, focusing on the area beneath the waterfall using snorkeling techniques.

“We conducted a manual search because the target was seen surfacing briefly before sinking again,” said Kadek Donny Indrawan, Coordinator of the Buleleng Search and Rescue Post.

The evacuation process was emotional. As soon as the body was brought ashore, family members waiting at the scene broke into tears. At their request, the remains were transported to the family home using a vehicle from Kubutambahan Police. The SAR personnel faced several challenges during the operation, including strong currents and murky water that reduced underwater visibility to just about one meter.

The victim, a resident of Banjar Dinas Tegal in Mengening Village, was previously reported missing after being swept away by the current while bathing with two friends on Thursday (20/11/2025). His two companions were rescued, but the victim disappeared underwater.

The two-day SAR operation involved multiple agencies, including the Buleleng SAR Post, Kubutambahan Police, community police officers, Buleleng Water Police, military personnel, district officials, BPBD Buleleng, Balawista, Bhuana Bali Rescue, and support from the victim’s family and local residents. (*)