Basarnas Drone Locates Missing Man's Body in North Sumatra River
A joint search and rescue (SAR) team has found Mula Sirait, 58, a resident who went missing after being swept away by the current of the Bah Toguran River in Bosar Galugur Village, Tanah Jawa District, Simalungun Regency, North Sumatra, on Tuesday (30/6). The victim was found dead after a two-day search, aided by aerial surveillance using a thermal drone.
Head of the Medan Class A Search and Rescue Office, Hery Marantika, explained that the victim was detected at 11.26 WIB at coordinates 02°54′38″N 99°13′47″E, approximately one kilometre from the initial incident location. “Alhamdulillah, on the second day of the SAR operation, the joint team found the victim, Mula Sirait, deceased, about one kilometre from the initial incident location,” he stated on Wednesday (1/7).
According to Hery, the victim was found through visual monitoring using a thermal drone belonging to the Medan Class A Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas Medan). Once located, the victim was immediately evacuated and handed over to the family. He recounted that the incident began on Sunday (28/6) at around 09.00 WIB. A witness named Bunga Sianturi saw the victim’s motorcycle crossing the river towards a plantation area. However, by 12.00 WIB, the victim had not returned. The witness then found the victim’s motorcycle still parked at the location, but the victim had disappeared.
Initial searches were conducted by the Tanah Jawa Police and local residents but yielded no results. The Tanah Jawa Police Chief then contacted the Medan Class A Search and Rescue Office for assistance. On the second day of the operation, Tuesday (30/6), the team coordinated by the Lake Toba SAR Post split into two search and rescue units (SRU). SRU I conducted an aerial sweep up to two kilometres downstream using a thermal drone, while SRU II carried out a ground sweep along the riverbank in the same sector. Hery noted that the team faced several obstacles, including narrowing river flows at certain points and limited visibility due to dense vegetation along the riverbanks. Despite these challenges, the synergy between the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the Indonesian National Police, the Regional Disaster Management Agency, local government, volunteers, and the community ensured the operation ran smoothly and safely. Hery expressed his appreciation to all parties involved for their success. “With the discovery of the victim, the SAR operation is officially closed and all personnel are returned to their respective units,” he concluded.