A British tourist, identified as Harrison Edward Nada Kontounas, 23, has been reported missing after being swept away while swimming at Legian Beach on Wednesday evening, September 24, 2025. According to I Nyoman Sidakarya, the Head of the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office (SAR), the incident occurred when Kontounas entered the water with two companions near an area marked with red flags.
Lifeguards had advised the group to leave the water due to the dangerous conditions. The two companions complied and returned to shore, but waves struck Kontounas, pulled him out by currents, and subsequently, he disappeared.
“We received a report at 18.40 WITA that a foreigner drowned from Mr. Ipel, Balawiata Kuta. Furthermore, five personnel were dispatched to the location,” said Sidakarya in his official statement received by detikbali, Thursday (25/9/2025).
Initial Nighttime Search
Sidakarya explained that search operations could not be conducted at sea on Wednesday night due to safety concerns. Instead, SAR personnel carried out shoreline patrols, covering the beach area both north and south of the incident location until 10:00 PM WIT. The search did not yield any results.
“Wind speeds above 30-39 km/h can be categorized as strong, it affects conditions in the waters. So we are urged to be careful when doing outdoor activities, including tourism on the beach,” said Sidakarya.
Expanded Search Operations
Search efforts resumed early Thursday morning with the deployment of multiple units across land, sea, and air. At 7:15 a.m., a rubber boat was dispatched from Kelan Beach, followed by a jetski that launched from Legian Beach at 7:45 a.m. to sweep different sections of the search area.
“The marine equipment that we deployed rubber boats, balawista jetskis, Basarnas and Polair and air elements from SGI Air Bali,” explained I Nyoman Sidakarya, as the Head of the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office. He also expressed the obstacles faced at the location during the oencarian process, including waves around the location as high as 1 to 2.5 meters.
The operations have been organized into several Search and Rescue Units (SRUs). One rubber boat unit focused on the area near Legian Beach where the incident occurred, while another unit was assigned to waters near Kelan Beach. Each unit is covering an area of approximately 15 square nautical miles.
SAR teams are also utilizing a thermal drone for aerial monitoring and deploying ground personnel to conduct beachside searches.
Aerial Support Added
In coordination with SGI Air Bali, aerial support was added to the operation at midday. At 12:15 p.m., a Bell 407 GXP helicopter with registration PK-ZGI departed from Benoa hangar. The crew included one pilot, the Head of Operations and Preparedness at Basarnas Bali, and two rescuers. The helicopter is conducting aerial sweeps to extend the search beyond the shoreline and coastal waters.
Status of the Search
As of Thursday afternoon, SAR officials confirmed that no signs of the missing tourist have been found despite coordinated efforts involving boats, jetskis, drones, and helicopter surveillance.
Sidakarya emphasized that the combined SAR units will continue operations across designated zones until further notice.
