A 34-year-old man from Surabaya, East Java went missing, officials say, after being swept away by strong waves off Batu Bolong Beach in Canggu.
Local outlets reported that AA went missing on Sunday afternoon but a local office of the Search and Rescue Agency received the report the following day after the victim’s friend alerted them of the incident.
Bali Search and Rescue Agency Head Gede Darmada said that AA and his friend enjoyed some beach time in Batu Bolong at around 5:00pm on Sunday and later went for a swim by himself while fully clothed.
AA didn’t immediately return to shore, while his friend only suspected that he went missing until he returned to the hotel and AA never showed up.
The friend later returned to the beach only to find AA’s unattended sandals. Only then did he report his suspicion to the agency, which Darmada said was regrettable as time is of the essence in finding missing persons.
At the time of the article’s publication, search and rescue members are still searching for AA.
