The Ternate Search and Rescue Agency is conducting a search for a man from Kasiruta Island, South Halmahera District, North Maluku, who reportedly went missing during the 2022 Eid exodus to his hometown.
After receiving a report on that day, the agency immediately dispatched personnel of the Bacan Island Search and Rescue Post to look for a victim named Asri Iskandar Alam, 30, Head of the Ternate Search and Rescue Agency Muhammad Arafah stated on Tuesday.
The victim, a resident of Kasiruta Island, South Halmahera District, reportedly went missing when he left a longboat unattended. He was supposed to use a canoe to continue his trip to Jeret Village.
On Sunday, May 1, 2022, at around 10 p.m. local time, the victim was maneuvering his longboat through a river route in the middle of his trip to his hometown in Jeret Village.
However, the victim did not arrive at his destination in Jeret Village, South Sulawesi, until then, though the residents found the victim’s longboat adrift in the waters around the village.
Thereafter, on Wednesday, May 3, 2022, at 12:15 local time, the Bacan Island Search and Rescue Post received the report and immediately expedited search and rescue efforts.
The team used the Rescue Boat 309 to reach the location where the victim was suspected to have gone missing, 17.9 Nm from the Kupal Bacan Harbor.
A family member, Sabtu Muale, confirmed that the victim intended to visit Jeret Village, East Kasiruta District, to celebrate Eid with the family for which he had departed using a katinting boat from Kasiruta Dalam Village.
However, until Monday, May 2, the victim failed to show up at Jerek Village, so the family and local people began looking for him.
“We are looking for the victim because from Sunday evening to Monday morning, the victims (failed to show up), so we searched and we found the victim’s boat adrift around the waters of Jeret Village, but the victim was not there, and the boat was in a damaged condition at the front,” he revealed.
He said that until then, the family and local residents were still searching for the victim around Jerek Village’s waters and the Kali Kali area of Kasiruta Dalam Village.
Source: ANTARA News