Latest news with #Alhawsawi
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
Search underway in Bali waters for missing Saudi tourist
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Saudi man was swept away by a strong current while swimming with his partner at the popular surfing spot. DENPASAR - Search and rescue personnel are looking for a Saudi Arabian tourist who went missing on July 8 while swimming off Batu Belig Beach in Badung regency, Bali, the latest in a string of water-related incidents in the popular resort province. Authorities say Mr Alhawsawi Asad Mohamed, 29, was swimming with his 30-year-old Russian partner at the popular surfing spot at around 2.40pm on July 8 when he was suddenly swept away by a strong current.
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Search underway in Bali waters for missing Saudi tourist
Batu Belig Beach is a popular tourist destination west of Bali's provincial capital Denpasar. - Antara DENPASAR, Bali: Search and rescue personnel are looking for a Saudi Arabian tourist who went missing on Tuesday (July 8) while swimming off Batu Belig Beach in Badung regency, Bali, the latest in a string of water-related incidents in the popular resort province. Authorities say Alhawsawi Asad Mohamed, 29, was swimming with his 30-year-old Russian partner at the popular surfing spot at around 2:40pm on July 8 when he was suddenly swept away by a strong current. His partner, identified only by their initials LT, promptly alerted lifeguards, who launched an immediate search using rescue boards. After searching until 3:10pm without spotting Alhawsawi, the lifeguards reported the incident to the Bali Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). I Nyoman Sidakarya, head of the agency's Denpasar Search and Rescue Office, said six rescuers were immediately deployed to the scene on receiving the report. 'Rescue personnel were divided into two teams to search within a 1-kilometer radius to the east and west of the incident site,' Nyoman said on Wednesday. The rescuers continued the search with no sign of Alhawsawi until nightfall on Tuesday, when reduced visibility hampered their efforts, while local residents held a religious ceremony on the beach to pray for his safe return. The following day, the agency expanded the search with support from the Bali Police, lifeguards and local residents. It also brought in additional resources to assist in the search, including jet skis, a rubber dinghy and a motorboat from Tuban, East Java. Bali's beaches are known for rough seas and strong rip currents, which have led to numerous accidents involving dozens of injuries and fatalities. Last month, United States national Petter Picetti Falcone went missing during a Jet Ski trip off southeastern Nusa Lembongan. A fishing boat found him a day later near Uluwatu in the province's southernmost end, around 50km away from Bali's sister island, waving and calling for help on the Jet Ski that had reportedly drifted overnight after running out of fuel. On May 6, a Jordanian man identified as Ozam, 27, was swept away during a midnight swim at Batu Belig Beach. Local fishermen found his body six days later off Kedonganan in neighboUring Kuta, around 16km from where he went missing. In April, Russian national Sergei Eliseev, 36, went missing during a solo fishing trip on a jukung, a traditional fishing boat, in the waters off Amed Beach in northeastern Karangasem regency. Fishermen from East Seraya village, around 16km south of Amed, found the empty jukung on April 16 and immediately reported it to Karangasem authorities, including the local Basarnas branch. A search effort was launched and lasted 10 days, beset by high waves, strong winds, heavy rain and lightning, but no signs of Eliseev have been found to date. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
