Junior high school pupil who drowned in the Ciliwung River in Depok found dead in South Jakarta

A joint team from the Depok City Fire and Rescue Service (DPKP Kota Depok) and a local environmental concern group successfully recovered the body of a teenager who had drowned in the Ciliwung River. The victim, Afik Rabani Ramadhan, 15, was found in the Ciliwung River along Jalan TB Simatupang in South Jakarta on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, around 14:00 WIB. The victim was a resident of Vila Santika, Grogol, Limo Sub-district, Depok City.

The Head of Disaster Risk Reduction at DPKP Kota Depok, Denni Romulo Hutauruk, explained that the victim, a first-year student at a junior high school, was reported missing after fishing in the Ciliwung River in Pancoran Mas on Sunday afternoon (17 May 2026).

“We found the victim’s body in the Ciliwung River along Jalan TB Simatupang, South Jakarta, which is about 10 kilometres from the initial fishing location,” Denni said on Tuesday (19 May).

According to witnesses, the incident began when the boy fished with a friend, Ahmad, 15. At that time, the victim’s fishing line became snagged in the middle of the river. The victim then tried to retrieve the line by swimming to the location. Unfortunately, the strong current made it difficult, and he eventually drowned. His friend, in a panic, asked for help from nearby residents. Although residents briefly attempted to rescue him, the victim quickly disappeared from sight due to the deep water and very strong currents.

“The authorities received reports of a drowning and immediately went to the location to carry out assessment and evacuation. However, on the first day, the search was hampered by dusk,” Denni said.

For two days, the joint team continued to sweep along the river and its banks. The divers were deployed to search suspected points, but results were negative on the first day.

On Tuesday morning, the team decided to widen the search downstream beyond the Depok City area. The effort paid off when officers spotted the victim’s body snagged on a pile of wood in the South Jakarta area.

Upon discovery, the body was reported to be intact. The officers evacuated the body and handed it over to the family at the home of mourning for funeral arrangements and any necessary administrative processing.