Tourist from China missing in Komodo National Park, search operations terminated

INDONESIA: The search for Chinese tourist Yi Liu, 27, who went missing on Long Pink Beach in Komodo National Park, Lahuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) since Tuesday (3 Oct), has yielded no results as of Monday (9 Oct).

Authorities have now officially suspended the search efforts.

Supriyanto Ridwan, Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) in Maumere, stated that the search for the Chinese tourist on the seventh day remained fruitless.

Therefore, the search was called off, and Yi Liu was declared missing.

Ridwan stated, “We are closing the search for the victim on the seventh day because it is no longer effective.” He mentioned that the chances of finding the victim had become extremely slim.

However, if Yi Liu is found in the future, a new search and rescue operation will be initiated.

Ridwan explained that the decision to terminate the SAR operation on the seventh day was based on Law No. 29 of 2017, Article 34, which stipulates that search and rescue operations must be conducted for a maximum of seven days.

Yi Liu was on a tourist trip to the Komodo National Park, traveling with other foreign tourists aboard the Qifadzah Tourist boat.

On Tuesday (3 Oct), the Qifadzah boat anchored at Long Pink Beach on Padar Island.

The boat’s captain recommended that all tourists disembark to enjoy the beauty of Long Beach. When other tourists returned to the boat, Yi Liu’s whereabouts were unknown.

Tour guide Adrianus Wijaya revealed that he had seen Yi Liu on the beach in her swimsuit. “I asked her not to swim but to enjoy the beach and take photos. She replied with ‘okay,'” Adrianus said. Adrianus only realized Yi Liu was missing after he gathered all the tourists before returning to the boat.

The search for Chinese tourist named Yi Liu (27), who went missing at Long Pink Beach in Komodo National Park, Lahuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, NTT, from Tuesday (3 Oct) until Monday (9 Oct), has been officially terminated. (Photo: the documentation of the National Search and Rescue Agency)

“When I gathered all the tourists, Yi Liu was not there. I asked fellow tourists, but they didn’t know where she had gone,” Adrianus explained.

A joint search and rescue team consisting of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the Indonesian Navy, Marine and Air Police Corps (Polairud) East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police, West Manggarai District Police, the Office of Port Authority and Maritime Affairs (KSOP) Labuan Bajo, and local residents combed the beach, sea, and savannah of Padar Island within a 10-kilometer radius.

Despite extensive efforts, Yi Liu remained unaccounted for on the seventh day of the search.

In a separate statement, Pius Baut, Head of the Department of Tourism and Creative Economy of West Manggarai Regency, urged travel operators and tour boat managers to take the safety of tourists seriously while visiting tourist destinations.

“Tour operators bringing tourists to destination spots need to pay attention to the actions of their guests. Guides should always know where their tourists are headed,” Pius emphasized.

The disappearance of Yi Liu has raised concerns about tourist safety in the region, prompting a call for stricter safety measures and closer supervision of tourists during their visits to the Komodo National Park.