Jember, The Indonesia Post – A total of 11 victims were found dead and 13 victims were found safe after being swept away by ocean currents while holding a ritual on the coast of Payangan Beach, Jember Regency, East Java, by a joint SAR team on Sunday.
“Eleven victims were found dead in the waters around Payangan Beach Jember, either floating or on the coast,” said the Jember Basarnas Team (Dantim) Commander Jatmika at Payangan Beach Jember.
The Single Jati Nusantara Group, which was led by Hasan along with another group from Panti, Patrang, Sukorambi, Sumbersari, Ajung and Jenggawah sub-districts as many as 24 people, including one driver using an Elf minibus with Nopol DK-7526-VF departed for Payangan Beach, Desa Sumberejo, Ambulu District on Saturday (12/2) night.
“All the victims have been found, namely 13 people were found safe and 11 people died. All of them were taken to the nearest health center,” said Jatmika.
He explained that a number of victims who died were found not far from the location where the south coast sea currents were dragged, either floating in the sea or around the coast.
Meanwhile, the Ambulu Police Chief AKP Ma’ruf said the group had actually been warned by local residents who are also the managers of Bukit Seroja tourism, which is located north of Payangan Beach, Jember, not to be by the sea due to bad weather.
“The Single Jati Nusantara group ignored the warning, so they continued to carry out the ritual on the beach. According to eyewitnesses, suddenly a big wave hit the ritual location, so that all of them were swept away by the waves of the south sea,” he said.
He explained that his party was assisted by Babinsa Sumberejo, village officials and local SAR in evacuating the survivors to the Ambulu Health Center for further treatment on Sunday at around 01.00 WIB.
“At 2:45 a.m., the survivors and the dead were taken by ambulance to the Sabrang Health Center and the Ambulu Police Strada Bacbone to the Ambulu Health Center,” he said.
Ma’ruf said the joint SAR team continued to search by boat and search around Payangan Beach, so that all the victims were found even though the time interval for finding the victims did not coincide.
“The driver who happened to be driving the group, Muhammad Afif, a resident of Kemuningsari Lor Village, Panti District, Jember Regency, we asked for information because at the time of the incident he was upstairs and did not participate in ritual activities,” he said. (ojn/bbs)
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