Gregory Robert Jones, a 41-year-old Australian citizen, died yesterday after attempting to rescue a drowned ferry crew member in the waters of Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Islands).
The KM Tidung Express ferry was en route to pick up passengers, including Jones, from Pulau Pelangi. About 1km away from the island, 20-year-old crewmember Cecep Sulaiman slipped off the boat and fell into the water.
Some of the ferry’s crew members jumped in the water to try to rescue Cecep.
“At the same time, the victim (Jones) also tried to rescue the crew member,” said Supriyanto, head of the Crime Investigation Unit at the Kepulauan Seribu Police, as quoted by Tempo yesterday.
The rescue proved to be difficult because of the heavy rain in the area at the time.
Unfortunately, Jones was fatally wounded during the attempted rescue as the boat’s propeller cut open his torso.
Jones was still alive when he was taken to a local hospital in Pulau Pramuka, but passed away soon afterwards.
Meanwhile, Cecep is believed to have drowned and his body has not yet been located.
Reader Interactions