Bali Tourists Urged To Be Mindful Of Swimming In The Sea

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Tourists in Bali are being urged to be mindful of where and when they swim in the ocean.

The warnings come after an Indonesian tourist lost his life after being swept out to sea from Seminyak Beach. 

The incident took place on Seminyak’s Double Six Beach. A 61-year-old grandfather and his grandson paddled in the shallows at around 7 pm.

The grandfather, known by his initials YSB, was swept out to see in front of K Resto on Double Six Beach. 

The Head of Public Relations for Denpasar Police, AKP I Ketut Sukadi, has confirmed that YSB’s body has now been recovered from the water.

The alarm was raised by YSB’s assistant, who was on the beach with her boss and his grandson. YSB decided to swim for an additional 15 minutes or so despite warnings from his group that the waves were getting high. 

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AKP Sukadi told reporters, “From the beach, the witnesses and his grandson reminded the victim to just swim to the edge because the waves were big. At that moment, suddenly, big waves came and rolled over the victim and dragged him in. Instantly, the victim was gone.”

Staff at K Resto assisted the group in searching for YSB in the water but swiftly called Search and Rescue teams to launch an official search. AKP Sukadi said, “Balawista and Polairud Kuta personnel, assisted by Basarnas, immediately carried out a search, but until late at night, the victim was not found. Finally, it was decided to continue the search in the morning. The victim was found dead.”

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Weather warnings and warnings of high waves are in place across Bali Province at the moment. Warnings were in place over the weekend, and tourists and tour providers were urged to proceed with caution.

In fact, 27 regions across Indonesia have been issued with alert status from the Metrology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. 

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This is tragically not the first time a tourist has lost their life on Seminyak Beach. Although the trendy and super popular beachfront looks calm and serene, there are certain patches of water on the beach at Double Six and Petitenget Beach, where deceptively strong and imperceivable undercurrents sit.

Tourists who have simply been paddling in what feels to be shallow water have been suddenly swept away by incoming high and strong waves. 

Though not all the time, there are lifeguards on duty on parts of Seminyak, Kuta, and Legian Beaches. Tourists should always check before entering the water.

If there are no lifeguards on duty, it is best to ask surf instructors who often hang out along the beach. Although they are not official lifeguards, they are often the best source of up-to-the-minute information about conditions on the water. 

It is always advisable to let someone in your group know before entering the water, especially in these potentially dangerous spots.

If traveling alone, again, it is always good just to ask one of the surf instructors or cafe owners to set a mental timer to check that you’re still OK. Of course, buy a drink, or why not book a surf lesson while you’re at it?

Seminyak Beach sees dozens of incidents every year, yet it is still not the most dangerous beach in Bali. The most dangerous beach in Bali is Kelingking Beach in Nusa Penida.

The iconic beach is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the province.

The clifftop viewpoint itself is perhaps the most famous aspect of the area. Tourists are welcome to hike down to the beach, though they must be warned that the trail is pretty treacherous and not well maintained. 

Tourists are prohibited from swimming at Kelingking Beach because, much like in Seminyak, although the waters often look calm and predictable, there is a strong and squirming undercurrent that can easily pull people out to sea, even if they’re just walking into the water just above the ankles.