One dead in river rafting accident

SEMARANG: One person died and another went missing while rafting on a river in the Central Java regency of Kendal on Saturday.

The remains of Syahid, 20, were found on Sunday afternoon by a search and rescue team. The body of Muhammad Kholif has not yet been recovered.

A survivor of the accident, Ali Musta'ran, 20, said the incident began when he and four other people, including Syahid and Muhammad Kholif, were rafting on the Kali Bodri River on Saturday.

They were using a makeshift raft made of three old tires that they tied together.

As they entered the section of river near the Taman Gede subdistrict, they were sucked into a whirlpool.

Three of the people managed to swim to the riverbank, but Syahid and Muhammad Kholif were dragged away by the current. -- JP