Nine-year-old Boy Thought to Have Drowned While Playing at the Mouth of the Serang River, Kulon Progo

A nine-year-old boy with initials BN went missing after playing at the mouth of the Serang River in Glagah, Temon Sub-district, Kulon Progo, this afternoon. A joint search-and-rescue (SAR) team is currently attempting to locate the second-grade student.

‘There was indeed a water-related accident; the boy BN, a resident of Karangwuni, Wates, is believed to have drowned at the mouth of the Serang River,’ Yogyakarta SAR Office Chief Rio Banupanitis told reporters on Saturday, 7 March 2026.

Rio explained that the incident came to light after residents found a bicycle abandoned at the mouth of the Serang River around 12:30 local time. However, there was no owner at the scene.

‘Initially, residents found a bicycle abandoned at the river mouth, but there was no person nearby. They then searched for the bicycle owner,’ Rio said.

Residents then located the bicycle owner and learnt that the bicycle belonged to BN. Subsequently, residents searched for other children who often played with the victim.

Around 16:00 local time, residents encountered one of the children. When questioned, the child admitted that BN had drowned at the river mouth.

‘There is one child who, after further questioning, admitted that his friend who owns the bicycle named BN drowned at the Serang River mouth,’ he said.

To verify the information, residents together with the police and the victim’s friends went to the scene.

‘And witnesses indeed pointed to the place where the drowning occurred. It can thus be confirmed that the victim drowned based on witness statements,’ he said.

Rio continued: The Yogyakarta SAR Office dispatched one rescue team from Kulon Progo SAR Post equipped with water-rescue equipment to the location. On arrival, the officers coordinated with the joint SAR to conduct the search.

The joint SAR team conducted searches using body rafting at the mouth of the Serang River. As of 17:00 local time, the joint SAR team had not yet located the victim. The search has been suspended for now and will resume tomorrow morning at 07:00 WIB.