BALINEWSID.COM, TABANAN — A 12-year-old boy was swept away by strong currents while swimming at Yeh Gangga Beach in Sudimara Village, Tabanan District, on Thursday afternoon (May 28, 2026). As of Friday (May 29, 2026), joint search and rescue (SAR) teams were still searching for the missing victim, identified as I Komang Sastra.

The victim was a resident of Banjar Jambe Baleran, Dajan Peken Village, Tabanan Regency. The Denpasar Search and Rescue Office received information about the incident from Tabanan Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) personnel, Putu Krisna, at around 8:15 p.m. local time.

According to reports, the incident occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. when the victim and a friend went swimming at Yeh Gangga Beach. While they were playing in the water, a large wave suddenly struck the victim and dragged him into the sea.

The victim’s friend attempted to rescue him by pulling his hand, but the strong current made the effort unsuccessful. The friend eventually swam back to shore to seek help from nearby residents.

Following the report, at around 8:30 p.m., the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office dispatched four rescue personnel to the location to conduct SAR operations.

Upon arriving at the scene, the SAR team coordinated with related agencies and the victim’s family to determine search efforts. The initial search was carried out by combing the shoreline area.

“We conducted a search westward from the point where the victim was reportedly swept away, covering approximately 1.5 kilometers,” said Head of the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office, I Nyoman Sidakarya.

The search operation continued until 11:35 p.m. However, the victim had not been found when the operation was temporarily suspended for the night.

Entering the second day on Friday (May 29, 2026), the joint SAR team resumed the search by expanding the search area around the incident site.

“On the second day of the SAR operation, we expanded the search area by deploying both sea and land search units,” Sidakarya added.

The joint SAR operation involved personnel from the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office, Tabanan Police Samapta Unit, Tabanan Water Police, Tabanan City Police Sector, Sudimara military officers, BPBD Tabanan, Tabanan District officials, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Tabanan, the victim’s family, and local residents.

The incident serves as a reminder for the public to remain cautious when engaging in activities at beaches, especially during high waves and strong sea currents.