SAR team finds toddler swept away by culvert during rain in Batam

A joint SAR team has found a two-year-old toddler named Ibas who was reported missing after being swept away by a culvert current in the Tanjung Sengkuang area of Batam City, Riau Islands. The discovery on the third day of the search operation on Wednesday brought deep sorrow as the victim was found deceased. “The victim was immediately evacuated to the funeral home to be handed over to the family,” said Eryk Subariyanto, Head of the Operations and Alert Section of the Tanjungpinang Class A SAR Office, on Wednesday afternoon. Eryk explained that the third day of the search operation, which began at 06.30 WIB, started with the division of personnel into two movement units. The efforts of the joint SAR team finally yielded results when the victim was found at 07.15 WIB. “With the discovery of the victim, the SAR operation is officially declared complete and proposed for closure. We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family,” he said. Eryk added that the search operation for the toddler involved various SAR resources from the TNI, Polri, the Regional Disaster Management Agency, local government agencies, Tagana, and the surrounding community. Shortly after the incident, the family and local residents had attempted an independent search along the waterway, but their efforts were unsuccessful until the SAR team arrived at the scene. The Tanjungpinang SAR office also urged parents with toddlers to strictly supervise their children’s activities when playing outside the house, especially near culverts that pose a risk to child safety.