The search for a 15-year-old French teenager who recently fell into a ravine on Mount Batukaru and went missing has dragged on. It has now been nine days since his disappearance and the start of active search efforts.
I Wayan Sudiarba, the district police chief, said that even the involvement of search dogs and drones hasn't yielded any results. The search is being hampered by bad weather, with dense fog often covering the mountain.
The nine days of searching have already exceeded the initial plan. Originally, the search was set to last seven days, but the missing boy's family requested the French consulate to extend it for an additional three days.
Sudiarba also mentioned that the team is combing through the area, especially where the missing boy's brother, Lucas, was found. "The brother of the missing person was found in Karyasari village, Pupuan district. We’ve focused the search here, or at an altitude of 1,213 meters above sea level," he said. In addition, rescuers are also searching along the river, at the edge of the ravine, on roads away from the hiking trail, and in several spots the family did not reach during their trek.
The new search deadline is tomorrow. A total of 40 people are involved in the operation. A local priest was even brought in to assist, but it hasn't helped so far. "We held a ceremony, but the result is still the same. I hope tomorrow brings a breakthrough," explained Sudiarba.
Steyn T. went missing after falling during a hike up Mount Batukaru. He was hiking with his mother, 45-year-old Madame Suman, his older brother Lucas, 17, and his younger brother Raphael, 12.
They began their ascent via the Malen temple trail in Banjar Margasari, Pujungan village, on the last Sunday of August around 10 a.m. The group planned to descend to Wongaya Gede village, where their driver was waiting for them. When no one had shown up by 10 p.m., the driver reported the possible trouble to the police, and the search for the missing teenager began.
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