A Chinese tourist who went missing while snorkelling in the waters off Kelor Island, Labuan Bajo, was found dead at a depth of 23 metres after a joint search and rescue operation on Wednesday (15 July). The victim was one of two Chinese nationals who died during the incident.
The victims were identified as Guo Xingyou (29) and Sha Gingyang (30), a married couple from China. They had been snorkelling in the waters surrounding Kelor Island, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), when the incident occurred.
According to West Manggarai Police Chief AKBP Christian Sometimes, the couple entered the water without wearing life jackets and were not under direct supervision.
“The two victims swam without wearing life jackets. No one supervised them directly while they were in the water,” Christian said, as quoted by detikBali on Thursday (16 July).
Lihat postingan ini di Instagram
Victim Found at 23-Metre Depth
Sha Gingyang was located by a joint search and rescue dive team at approximately 4.44 pm Central Indonesia Time (WITA). The victim was found around 0.21 nautical miles from the location where he was first reported missing.
Marine First Lieutenant (S) Y. Lamek Koranglawang from the Labuan Bajo Naval Base (Lanal Labuan Bajo), who took part in the underwater search, said the victim was discovered during the 22nd minute of the dive.
“We found the victim in the 22nd minute of the dive. The victim was at a depth of around 23 metres in a supine position,” Lamek told Kompas.com.
He added that the victim was still wearing his snorkelling equipment and fully clothed when the body was recovered.
“The victim was still wearing snorkelling equipment and full clothing, with the mask still attached to his head,” he said.
The body was subsequently brought to the surface before being evacuated for further procedures.
Joint SAR Team Conducted Underwater Search
The search operation involved personnel from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the P3Kom rescue team and divers from the Labuan Bajo Naval Base.
Head of the Maumere SAR Office, Fathur Rahman, said the search team located the victim after approximately 30 minutes of underwater operations.
“The victim was found after searching for approximately half an hour. He was found at a distance of 0.21 miles from the point where he was declared missing,” Fathur explained.
Authorities confirmed that both victims were pronounced dead following the incident. Their bodies were transported to the Komodo Labuan Bajo Regional Hospital mortuary.
The incident has drawn attention to the importance of following safety procedures during marine tourism activities, particularly the use of life jackets and adequate supervision while participating in water-based activities. Police have stated that the victims entered the water without life jackets, while rescue officials confirmed the recovery was carried out through a coordinated operation involving several agencies.
cover: humas polres mangarai barat
