Two weeks since he went missing and a week after his family accepted that they had to let him go, Emmeril “Eril” Kahn Mumtadz’s body was finally recovered from the Aare River in Bern, Switzerland.
Related — ‘We will meet again’: Ridwan Kamil’s family accepts loss of Eril
Swiss authorities found Eril’s body in the morning of June 8 some 6 kilometers downstream from where he was last seen two weeks ago. A DNA test conducted the next day confirmed that the body belongs to the eldest son of West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil.
Ridwan shared the news on social media on the evening of June 9, expressing his gratitude towards God and the authorities for allowing him and his family to have closure for Eril’s passing.
“By God, we are calm now,” Ridwan wrote in the post.
Ridwan posted another message this morning, in which he said, “Even though it’s been 14 days, his body is intact and not missing a single thing. His face is clean and was facing to the right, and I bear witness that Eril’s body smells like eucalyptus leaves. This is truly a small miracle, for which we are grateful.”
Ridwan and his family left for Switzerland yesterday, and they’re expected to bring Eril’s body back to Indonesia on Sunday. Eril’s funeral is scheduled for Monday.
Eril was in Switzerland to pursue a postgraduate degree. He went missing after swimming in the Aare river in Bern with his sister and their friends in the afternoon of May 26. According to Ridwan, Eril was dragged by a sudden surge in river current.
Swiss authorities said bad weather hampered their search for the 22-year-old.
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