Student Dies Saving Mother and Sister in Buleleng Flash Flood

A flash flood in Tista Hamlet, Buleleng, claimed the life of a university student on Friday. The victim, 20-year-old Ricardo Razaq Alghivieri, was found dead beneath the ruins of his collapsed home after the structure was overwhelmed by the force of the water.

Buleleng Search and Rescue (SAR) Post Coordinator Kadek Donny Indrawan stated that his team received the incident report at approximately 1.55 pm local time. According to gathered information, the flash flood occurred after heavy rain and extreme weather hit the upstream area from midday.

“The incident resulted in one person being affected, one was buried under the rubble due to this flash flood,” Donny said.

Upon receiving the report, a joint SAR team and local residents immediately began a search. Ricardo was initially suspected of having been swept away by the current, so the search was conducted along the river flow to the coastal area. However, after the water level receded, the team rechecked the incident site. Information from residents then led them to believe Ricardo was still near the collapsed house.

At around 4.15 pm local time, Ricardo was found beneath the rubble of his own home. The joint team carried out a manual evacuation because the building structure was still unstable and at risk of further collapse. The victim was successfully evacuated from the debris at around 5.10 pm.

“We carried out the evacuation slowly to reduce the risk because the building was still unstable. The victim was eventually evacuated from under the rubble,” Donny said.

Ricardo’s body was subsequently taken to Buleleng Regional Hospital at the family’s request for further procedures.

Meanwhile, Tista Hamlet Head Nyoman Arian recounted that Ricardo was inside the house when the flood began to enter the residential area. According to the victim’s mother, Ricardo had first told his mother and younger sister to get out of the house as the water continued to rise.

As he was trying to save himself, Ricardo is believed to have slipped just as the building was struck by the flood. The family members who were already outside thought Ricardo had been swept away by the current.

“The victim was told to get out. When he reached the front door, his foot apparently slipped and the building collapsed immediately. That is why the family assumed he had been swept away,” Arian explained.

According to Arian, the flood was triggered by the overflow of a river from the direction of Panji Village. A large amount of branches and tree trunks clogged the river flow, causing the water to spill over and breach a perimeter wall before crashing into residents’ houses.

“Because the river was clogged with branches and trees, the water overflowed and broke through the retaining wall. The water then entered the housing area and headed towards the victim’s house,” he concluded.