Tourist from China reported missing at Long Pink Beach, Komodo National Park

EAST NUSA TENGGARA, INDONESIA: The picturesque Long Pink Beach in Komodo National Park, known for its unique pink-hued sands, has now become the backdrop for a concerted search operation to ensure the safe return of a missing Chinese tourist.

The search and rescue (SAR) teams are tirelessly working to locate the foreign national named Yi Liu (27), who vanished at approximately 10:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday (3 Oct).

The SAR operation at Long Pink Beach, Labuan Bajo, is being led by Supriyanto Ridwan, the Head of the Maumere Office of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and also the SAR Mission Coordinator.

An official statement from the Maumere Office in Sikka Regency detailed the ongoing efforts to find Yi Liu.

The sequence of events leading to Yi Liu’s disappearance was provided by the captain of the Qifadzah 03 tourist boat.

According to the captain, the group arrived at Long Pink Beach at around 8:30 a.m. local time. He had recommended that all passengers disembark to enjoy the natural beauty of the beach.

However, when it was time for everyone to reboard the boat for a headcount, Yi Liu, a tourist from China, was missing from the passenger manifest.

Illustration: The Komodo National Park, Indonesia. (Photo: liramedia.co.id)

Further investigation revealed video footage captured at 9:16 AM local time, showing Yi Liu walking along the shoreline while wearing snorkeling gear. This information has become a critical piece in the ongoing search operation.

The combined SAR team has been conducting an exhaustive search both in the sea and along the savannah surrounding the beach in an effort to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing tourist.

In a written statement received by Kompas.com on Tuesday (3 Oct) evening, Ridwan explained that the joint team maximized the search on the first day by deploying the West Manggarai SAR Rib Pos Ship and fishing boats.

“We all hope that the victim will be found on this second day of the search,” Ridwan said.

He added that the second-day search operation involves two SAR Rescue Units (SRU). SRU Team I will search the surface of the sea along Long Pink Beach for a distance of 3 nautical miles, and SRU Team II will conduct a land search within a 2-kilometer radius from the incident location.

As of 4:15 p.m. local time, the search has yielded no results, leaving Yi Liu’s fate still uncertain. The search continues on Wednesday (4 Oct).

Further updates will be provided as the search for Yi Liu continues.