Disaster

Batu Pampang Beach Tragedy: 4 Tourists Dead, SAR Operation Closed

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 18, 2026•3 min read

A joint SAR team found the final victim of the rip-current tragedy at Batu Pampang Beach, Emang Lestari Village, Lunyuk District, Sumbawa Regency, NTB, on Sunday morning (18/10/2026). The victim, identified as MKR (19) from Ponorogo, East Java, was found dead after a five-day search. With this discovery, the search operation for the four swept-away tourists has been officially closed — all victims were found dead.

Key Facts

The final victim, identified as MKR (19) from Ponorogo, East Java, was found floating on Sunday (18/10/2026) at 07:05 WITA, about 2 nautical miles southwest of the incident site.
The incident began on Wednesday (14/10/2026) at around 08:45 WITA, when four 19-year-old tourists were swept away by the current at Batu Pampang Beach, Lunyuk District, Sumbawa Regency, NTB.
On day one, one victim from Sulawesi was found dead. On Thursday (15/10/2026) afternoon, MY (19) from Tangerang and MZ (19) from Palembang were found dead by residents after washing up at Kuang Dingin Beach, about 3 nautical miles from the incident site.
The joint SAR operation involved the Sumbawa SAR Post rescue team, Alas Police, the Sumbawa Police Water Unit, the Labupadi Naval Post, and local residents; it was officially closed after the final victim was evacuated.
Kurais, coordinator of the Sumbawa SAR Post, confirmed the discovery of the final victim and announced the official closure of the search operation.

Final Victim Found, Operation Closed

A joint SAR team found the last victim of the rip-current tragedy at Batu Pampang Beach, Emang Lestari Village, Lunyuk District, Sumbawa Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, on Sunday morning (18/10/2026). The victim, identified by the initials MKR (19) from Ponorogo, East Java, was found dead after a five-day search.

Officers found MKR's body at 07:05 WITA floating on the sea surface, about two nautical miles southwest of the incident site. The SAR team then evacuated the victim to the Lunyuk health center for further handling before handing the body over to the family.

The discovery closed the search operation for four tourists swept away by the current at the beach on Wednesday (14/10/2026). All victims were found dead. Kurais, coordinator of the Sumbawa SAR Post, confirmed the discovery of the final victim and officially announced the closure of the search operation.

Five-Day Search Timeline

The tragedy began on Wednesday (14/10/2026) at around 08:45 WITA, when four 19-year-old tourists were swept away by the current while at Batu Pampang Beach. On the first day, one victim from Sulawesi was found dead.

On Thursday afternoon (15/10/2026), two more victims — MY (19) from Tangerang and MZ (19) from Palembang — were found dead by residents after washing up at Kuang Dingin Beach, about three nautical miles from the incident site.

The joint SAR operation, involving the Sumbawa SAR Post rescue team, Alas Police, the Sumbawa Police Water Unit, the Labupadi Naval Post, and local residents, continued until the fifth day. Kurais praised the coordination between teams that led to all victims being found.

Muhamad Hariyadi, head of the Mataram SAR Office, said the tragedy serves as a reminder for tourists to heed current conditions and the state of the sea before swimming at beaches. Vigilance about water characteristics is essential to reduce the risk of accidents, especially when sea conditions are dangerous.