10-Year-Old Found Dead After Drowning in Karawang Irrigation Channel
A 10-year-old child was found dead after drowning in a secondary irrigation channel in Karawang Regency, West Java. The victim had previously been reported missing and had not returned home since Tuesday (18/8).
Karawang Police Public Relations Head, Ipda Cep Wildan, confirmed that the victim was a resident of Medangasem Village, Jayakerta District, Karawang. The body was found by a joint team on Wednesday (19/8) after an intensive search effort.
“After a search was conducted together with residents and a joint team, the victim was found dead around one kilometre from the initial location where the victim was suspected of drowning in the secondary irrigation channel in the Medangasem Village area,” said Cep Wildan in Karawang on Wednesday.
The tragic incident began on Tuesday (18/8), when an eyewitness saw the victim swimming in the irrigation channel not far from his home. However, after hours of swimming, the victim did not return home until the afternoon and evening.
The family, together with local village officials, then coordinated with the police because they suspected the victim had drowned. The report was immediately followed up by a joint team that arrived at the location on Wednesday morning to begin sweeping the area.
The search operation involved joint personnel from the Karawang Police Water and Air Unit, Rengasdengklok Police, the Karawang Basarnas Unit, and the Karawang Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency. Local residents and village officials also assisted in the sweeping process along the irrigation channel.
The victim was eventually found in the irrigation channel in Babakan Hamlet, Medangasem Village. After being found, the victim’s body was immediately evacuated and handed over to the family for burial.
In addition to carrying out the evacuation, police officers also conducted a crime scene investigation, recorded statements from witnesses, and visited the family home to ensure the handling proceeded smoothly.
Karawang Police urged parents to increase supervision of their children, especially when they are playing or engaging in activities around irrigation channels, rivers, or other bodies of water that could endanger their safety.