Harrison Edward Nada Kontounas., 23, was last seen swimming with two friends before a strong current dragged him into the sea, leaving his two friends helplessly searching for him on the beach
A British tourist has been reported missing after he was last seen on a beach in Bali – sparking an urgent search amid fears the young man drowned at sea.
Harrison Edward Nada Kontounas, 23, was last seen swimming with two friends in the afternoon at Legian Beach when a strong tide took him away on Wednesday. Red flags were raised at the beach to indicate that entering the water is prohibited due to dangerous conditions.
While his friends made their way back to the shore safely, the London-based traveller didn’t quite do the same, as he continued to battle against wind speeds of 30 km/h. Soon after, a diligent joint rescue operation took place with helicopters and boats as they made attempts to track him down.
The Denpasar Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas Bali) moved toward the incident site. Meanwhile, Search and Rescue Unit 1 (SRU 1) headed to Legian Beach, and another SRU headed to Kelan Beach, where they deployed a rubber boat, NeedToKnow reports.
Nyoman Sidakarya, Head of the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office, said: “We urge you to be careful when engaging in outdoor activities, including beach tourism.” They added: “We received a report at 18.40 WITA that a foreigner had drowned from Mr Ipel, Balawiata Kuta, and then five personnel were dispatched to the location.
“Our initial step is to coordinate with witnesses and other SAR elements. If he is not found tomorrow morning (today), we can determine our next action plan,” The Daily Mail reports. Authorities tirelessly search the land along the coastline, but harsh conditions didn’t allow for search and rescue equipment to be deployed into the water.
According to reports, in a Facebook group for Australians travelling to Bali, a friend of Mr Kontounas shared a plea for help. He wrote: “A close friend was swept out to sea by a riptide today from Kuta Beach at 5pm local time. He has not been found.”
A number of social media posts warned about how dangerous the beaches in that area can be, including the one mentioned, as Kuta Beach sits next to Legian Beach. One user wrote: “Even swimming between the lifesaver flags, you will get rips. Kuta just isn’t safe for swimmers.”
Another shared: “According to the locals, it’s not just the rip dragging you along; it’s also the very strong undertow and whirlpool that can pull you under.” Abbey Maree was a witness to the events, and she shared a message about what she saw take place.
She said: “It was a heartbreaking afternoon on the beach watching lifeguards searching for hours to find him. The water was so rough at the time.
“I was hoping they’d bring in a few more jet skis or boats to search, perhaps a helicopter, but sadly they just don’t operate like we do back home. My heart bleeds for his friends and family and everyone else on the beach helping to find him.”
At present, Harrison is yet to be found, and his condition remains unclear.