Chilling moment a tourist is washed into the sea when a huge wave crashes over him as he poses for photos on rocks in Indonesia
This is the shocking moment a tourist was washed away by a huge wave as he posed for photos at a notorious coastal spot in Indonesia.
Rony Josua Simanjuntak, 21, from North Sumatra, was visiting Kedung Tumpang Beach in East Java on October 13 when tragedy struck.
The young man was standing on wet rocks with some friends when a huge wave crashed into the boulders around him, sending in whitewater.
Dramatic footage shows the boy initially smiling with his arms outstretched before being knocked off the jagged rocks jutting out from the shore.
His friends, sitting on the cliffs above, laughed before realizing the horror of the situation as the ocean dragged their friend out of the lagoon and into the open sea.
Rescue teams are still searching for the missing boy.
Rony Josua Simanjuntak, 21, from North Sumatra, stood on wet rocks before being washed away by the large wave. Pictured above left
The huge wave crashed into him as his friends watched in horror
Horror footage captured the moment the tourist was washed away by the huge wave as he posed for photos at the seaside spot
Simanjuntak could be seen standing behind his friend on the boulder before he was washed away
His friend posed with his arms in the air, oblivious to the incident happening behind him
Simanjuntak quickly disappeared into the water and he is still missing
Pucanglaban police chief Iptu Bambang Kurniawan said Rony arrived at the beach in the morning with 15 other university students.
He said: ‘His friends did not dare to help at that time because the waves were very big.
‘The victim was immediately dragged by the waves into the middle of the sea. The others survived.’
Nanag Pujo, head of the Trenggalek search and rescue unit, said a search operation was launched involving three squads.
One team searched the sea for rubber boats deployed from Sine Beach, eight kilometers west of Kedung Tumpang Beach, while two other groups searched along the cliffs where Rony disappeared.
He added: “As the terrain at Kedung Tumpang Beach was too rough, dinghies were lowered from Sine Beach instead.
‘Despite the sunny weather, the biggest challenge we faced was the big waves.
‘We are aware that young people and tourists like to visit this area to take photos.
‘But we now advise them to stay away or not to get too close to the water. It’s very dangerous.’
Muhamad Hariyadi, head of the search and rescue agency in Surabaya, said the mission was still ongoing on Wednesday, October 16, with no trace of the young man found.
Kedung Tumpang Beach in Tulungagung, East Java, is known for its striking coastal landscape with natural rock pools and lagoons.
Rony Josua Simanjuntak, 21, from North Sumatra, stood on wet rocks before being washed away by the big wave
Rescue teams are still searching for the missing man
A rescue unit team scoured the sea for rubber boats in search of Simanjuntak
The man’s friends did not try to save him at the time because the waves were too big
Instead of long sandy beaches stretching along the coast, it has rugged rock formations and tide pools.
However, the beautiful terrain is also dangerous during high tide, when the rushing waters can rush in and drag unsuspecting visitors into deeper waters.
In 2016, two tourists, Aris and Imam, both 25, were also washed away by a wave while taking selfies on the same beach.
In November last year, academics in Australia said taking selfies was now a ‘public health problem’.
Experts analyzed scientific articles and media reports about injuries or deaths caused by selfies worldwide since 2008.
They found that nearly 400 had been reported during the 13-year study period – including 77 in the US.
The victims were most likely female tourists in their early twenties, while falling and drowning while taking a photo were the two leading causes of death.
Researchers said the public must be made aware of the risks posed by selfies – of which an estimated 92 million are taken every day – and urged social media apps to install software to warn people of the dangers when they go to take a selfie.