BALINEWSID.COM, BADUNG – An 80-year-old man was found dead floating in the waters off Peninsula Beach in Benoa, South Kuta, Badung Regency, on Sunday (July 5, 2026), prompting a joint response from the Water Police, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), and local lifeguards.

The victim was identified as I Wayan Dapet, an 80-year-old resident of Banjar Pande, Benoa Village, South Kuta.

According to police, the body was discovered at around 10:00 a.m. local time, approximately 40 meters from the shoreline in front of the Peninsula Hotel, Banjar Terora, Benoa Village.

Preliminary information revealed that on Saturday (July 4) at around 3:00 p.m., witness I Wayan Suwitra, 64, saw the victim leaving his home on foot. However, he did not know where the elderly man was heading.

The following morning, witness I Ketut Suata, 52, spotted a body floating in the sea and immediately reported the incident to the Benoa community police officer (Bhabinkamtibmas). The report was then forwarded to personnel from the Denpasar Water Police Unit (Satpolairud), who were conducting a limited search and rescue operation with Basarnas at nearby Green Bowl Beach.

A joint team consisting of four officers from the Denpasar Water Police, Basarnas personnel, and Balawista lifeguards rushed to the scene. Using a jet ski, officers approached the location indicated by the witness and found the victim floating face down. His right hand was caught on a floating buoy commonly used to moor traditional fishing boats.

The victim’s body was safely evacuated to the shoreline, where local residents recognized him as a resident of Banjar Pande. Family members later arrived at the scene and confirmed the victim’s identity before the body was transported by ambulance to the family home for funeral and religious ceremonies.

Denpasar Police Public Relations Chief said the victim had long suffered from a mental disability and was known to frequently leave home on his own. According to the family, he often wandered on foot and was regularly found and escorted home by residents who knew him.

The family stated that they accepted the victim’s death as a tragic accident and confirmed there was no indication of criminal activity. They also declined to file a police report or pursue legal action against any party, formalizing their decision through a written statement.

Police are continuing to collect statements from witnesses and coordinate with the victim’s family as part of the administrative handling of the incident.