Search for Two Missing Children at Kuta Beach Called Off After Seven Days
The search for two children who were swept away by waves while playing football at Kuta Beach, Badung, was officially halted on Saturday (1lag. 6/2026) afternoon at approximately 4:00 PM WITA. The joint SAR (Search and Rescue) team had been conducting search operations for seven days.
This cessation was carried out in accordance with the time limits regulated under Law Number 29 of 2014 concerning Search and Rescue.
“Today, we will cease the search involving the joint elements. The search will continue through monitoring and cross-sectoral coordination regarding any further developments,” said Juni Antara, Head of Operations at the Denpasar Class A Search and Rescue Office, on Saturday (13/6/2026).
He explained that during the seven-day search and rescue operation, the joint SAR team found no signs leading to the discovery of the victims.
“We have exhausted all efforts, ranging from land, sea, and even aerial searches. However, as of this afternoon, the results remain nil,” he added.
On the final day of the search, the joint SAR team deployed three SAR assets, including a rubber boat, a jet ski, and one Bell 412 helicopter belonging to SGi.
The search area covered by the rubber boat reached 3.31 NM², while the Balawista jet ski covered 3.16 NM². To reach a wider area, the team deployed the SGi helicopter, covering a search area of 8.21 NM².
The joint team also requested assistance from local fishermen and the community. However, the search yielded no results by the afternoon.
“We hope that fishing groups and the community find the location of the victims so they can immediately report to Basarnas to proceed with the evacuation process,” he said.
Although the search operation has officially ended, Juni emphasised that SAR operations can be reopened if clues, evidence, or accurate information regarding the victims’ whereabouts are discovered.
Previously, two children named Airlangga Andrianto (13) and Noval Aditya Saputra (8) were reported swept away by currents while playing football at Kuta Beach on Sunday (7/6/2026) at approximately 6:05 PM WITA.
Throughout the search process, the families of both victims waited for updates on the SAR operation around Kuta Beach. Noval’s grandfather, Ramli (52), had previously revealed that his grandson went to play at the beach without the family’s knowledge.