Search Underway for Missing British Tourist Swept Out to Sea in Bali
Authorities and friends are urgently searching for Harrison Edward Nada Kontounas, a 23-year-old British national from Ilford, East London, who went missing off the coast of Bali while swimming at Legian Beach. The incident occurred on Wednesday when a strong current is believed to have pulled him underwater.
According to the Denpasar Search and Rescue team, Harrison was swimming with two companions when he disappeared. The alert was raised at 18:40 local time (11:40 BST), prompting a coordinated search effort. Search and rescue operations have involved boats, jet skis, and drones combing the coastline, but as of now, no sign of Harrison has been found.
His friend, Freddie Palmer, who was present at the time of the incident, expressed deep distress and voiced concerns over the response to the emergency. He criticized the delay in lifeguards arriving on site, claiming they took three hours to respond. Additionally, Freddie revealed that they personally funded a helicopter search costing approximately £1,700, which unfortunately yielded no results. “We are traumatised. We just believe that the authorities here could have acted quicker and maybe he would be sitting here with us right now,” Freddie said, emphasizing that the friends have dedicated more search time than official teams in the initial 24 hours.
Search and Rescue Chief Nyoman Sidakarya highlighted the challenges faced by the teams due to rough sea conditions, including waves reaching heights of up to 2.5 meters (8 feet), which have hampered search efforts. He stated that if the current search yields no results, they will determine the next steps accordingly. Visitors to Bali’s beaches have been cautioned about hazardous conditions, with wind speeds potentially reaching 39 km/h (24 mph).
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed it is supporting Harrison’s family and coordinating closely with Indonesian authorities.
The situation remains ongoing as locals, authorities, and friends continue the search for Harrison in hopes of a positive outcome. Those visiting Bali beaches are urged to exercise extreme caution given the dangerous currents and weather conditions.
Any updates or new information will be closely monitored and reported.
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