The whereabouts of Muhammad Rizki (20), a tourist from Bandung Regency who went missing after being swept away by currents at Pangandaran West Beach, remain unknown as of the third day of search operations on Sunday, July 19, 2026. Meanwhile, two female students were reported dead after being swept away by waves while swimming at Kapitol Beach, Sukabumi, on Saturday afternoon, July 18, 2026.
In Pangandaran, a joint team continues the search. As of Sunday afternoon, the victim had not been found, prompting officials to expand the search radius to optimize sweeping efforts. Head of the Pangandaran Police Water and Air Unit, First Inspector Anang Tri Sodikin, stated that the search resumed at 7:00 AM with a wider search pattern than the previous day. The victim’s family was also on-site monitoring the operation.
“Today marks the third day of the search. We have expanded the search area. To the west, the sweep reaches as far as the Kampung Turis area, while to the east, it extends to the Nature Reserve,” Anang said. He explained that the joint team split the search into two routes: coastal sweeps using four-wheel vehicles and sea monitoring using outrigger boats and jet skis.
The victim went missing on Friday, July 17, 2026, at around 5:40 PM. Muhammad Rizki, along with his two friends, Jatmiko (21) and Rian, was swimming with surfboards at Pangandaran West Beach. Large waves arrived and dragged all three into the open sea. Nearby fishermen came to their rescue and managed to evacuate Jatmiko and Rian. During the rescue effort, Rizki was still seen waving his hands. Due to the boat’s limited capacity, the fishermen first brought the two survivors ashore. By the time they returned to the scene, Rizki was no longer visible and was suspected to have drowned after being swept away by the current.
Two Dead
Meanwhile, two female students died after being swept away by waves while swimming at Kapitol Beach, Sukabumi. The victims were identified as Wafa (13), an 8th-grade student at Alhidayah Junior High School from Cibunar Village, Gede Pangrango, Kadudampit District, Sukabumi Regency. The other victim was Kania Meisya Cahyani (15), a 10th-grade student at SMKN 1 Gunungguruh and a resident of Nagrak Village, Sukasari, Cisaat District, Sukabumi Regency.
Cisolok Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bayu Saeful Bahari, stated that according to information, the incident began around 3:00 PM when a tour group of approximately 60 members from the Granada Kadudampit Drum Band was vacationing at Kobeng Beach, Karangpapak Village. About 10 minutes later, the victims, along with six other group members, walked over to Kapitol Beach. Upon arrival, three female students played in the sand at the water’s edge before going in to swim. “Suddenly, a large wave struck and swept the victims toward the coral rocks,” Bayu said.
Local residents immediately launched a search and reported the incident to the Cisolok Police. Officers later found two female bodies floating in the water. They were brought to Palabuhanratu Regional General Hospital for examination, where both were pronounced dead.
