A teenager is presumed dead after falling off a ferry in the Bali Strait, a mere 100 meters from the pier, while taking selfies last week.
East Java native Mahbud, 18, had been on the short boat ride from Ketapang to Gilimanuk, West Bali, when he suddenly fell in the water on Wednesday, just as the ship was about to dock.
“From the testimony of witnesses, he stood too close to the edge, so when the boat was hit by waves, he fell. This was not a transportation accident,” Gilimanuk Port Authority Head Made Astika said, as quoted by Okezone.
Because of unpredictable conditions, the ship’s crew appeals to passengers not to get too close to the edge of the boat during every crossing, because big waves could hit at any time, says Astika.
While reports have not yet broken of the teen’s body being found by local search and rescue, Jembrana SAR coordinator, Ida Bagus Surya Wirawan, said last week that a search would run for a maximum of seven days.
Seflies have apparently claimed the lives of a few tourists in recent years in Bali.
An Indonesian tourist died in January 2017 after falling off a cliff in Uluwatu, allegedly while taking a selfie.
Back in January 2016, a Chinese tourist died after sustaining head injuries from a fall off a cliff at Pura Batu Bolong in the Tanah Lot area, also amidst selfie taking.
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