DARO: The bodies of three teenagers who were swept away by a strong current at Sungai Batang Lassa on Sunday (Oct 15) have been discovered and retrieved this morning (Oct 17).
The young victims, all aged 13, have been identified as Herodias Enggung, Aldrin Gambang Allan Kiai and Sebastian Oziel Seman Umpi.
Herodias’ body was the first to be found at 6.30am, some 1km from where he was last seen.
This was followed by the recovery of Sebastian Oziel Seman Umpi at 8.22am, about 2km from where he was last seen.
The last body belonging to Aldrin, was found and retrieved at 9.05 am, about 4km away from his last known position.
All of their bodies were handed over to the police for transport to the hospital.
The extensive search and rescue operation, which had been ongoing since Sunday, came to a solemn conclusion at 10am.
Last Sunday afternoon, it was reported that the three victims were enjoying a day in the river with two friends.
According to one of the witnesses, who did not join in the river bath, the three victims were suddenly swept away by the strong current.
Meanwhile, one managed to save himself and survive the incident.
Preliminary information indicates that at the time of the incident, the river’s conditions were low tide with cloudy water and strong current, at a depth of about five metres.
Firemen from Daro station together with the police were deployed to the scene to search for the boys after receiving a distress call around 6.37pm that fateful day.
