Tourist Swept Away By Strong Current At Famous Bali Beach

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Bali’s Search and Rescue teams are continuing intensive efforts to locate a tourist who was swept away by high waves from the world-famous Diamond Beach on Tuesday, May 27th.

The 24-year-old tourist from Medan, known by his initials RH, was swept away on Tuesday afternoon.

Diamond Beach in Nusa Penida is one of Indonesia’s most famous landscapes. Ultra-popular with domestic and international tourists alike, the rugged cliff-backed beach can only be accessed via a steep set of steps cut into the rock.

The waters are almost always crystal clear and exceptionally photogenic. The ocean at Diamond Beach is also some of the most enticing in all of Bali. However, a strict no-swim, no-paddle rule is in place, as while the water looks inviting, the high waves and incredibly strong undercurrent pose a serious threat to life. 

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The Head of the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office, Nyoman Sidakarya, has confirmed Tuesday’s incident to reporters and has confirmed the operational plans moving into Thursday and Friday.

Sidakrya revealed that RH visited Diamond Beach with six friends on Tuesday afternoon. Three of the friends, including RH, decided to enter the water for a swim. The trio swam out 50m from the shore, as it started to rain. As the two friends quickly turned around and swam back to shore, RH was swept away and quickly disappeared from sight. 

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Sidarkya told reporters “We received the report at around 13:55 WITA.” And Search and Rescue Teams from Denpasar Search and Rescue were deployed immediately. An intensive search of the Diamond Beach Bay area and surrounding waters has been undertaken. Search efforts continued throughout Wednesday 28th and into Thursday 29th, though by sunset on Thursday no further reports regarding RH had been issued by Bali Search and Rescue. 

Sidarkya told reporters “During the SAR operation, SAR elements from the Nusa Penida SAR Standby Unit, Nusa Penida Police, relatives, and the local community will also be involved.” 

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The incident is a timely reminder to all tourists visiting Bali to adhere to the no-swim rules in place at the province’s most dangerous beaches. No-swim rules are in place at Nusa Penida’s Diamond Beach, Kelingking Beach, and Angel’s Bilabong. There are dozens of beaches across the main island of Bali that are also unsafe for swimming and paddling, especially along the Southwest edge of the Bukit Peninsula. 

However, many beaches in Bali have a flag safety system in place to help protect tourists and beach visitors. Beaches in Seminyak, Legian, Kuta, Sanur, and Nusa Dua also have lifeguards on duty throughout the day, especially during the high season.

Tourists visiting Nusa Penida are urged to honor the rules in place to keep them safe. While the waters of Diamond Beach and Kelingking Beach look enticing, the dangers are hard to comprehend while standing on the shore. The waves, while standing on the beach sand, can look relatively small and safe to stand up against.

However, the water gets surprisingly deep surprisingly quickly, the waves are always higher and stronger than they appear from the shoreline, and the exceptionally strong undercurrent is no match for even the strongest of swimmers. 

Tourists visiting Nusa Penida have many wonderful beaches to explore, many of which are safe to swim, paddle, and float about on.

Crystal Bay is the most popular swim-friendly beach in Nusa Penida, making it the perfect place to hang out after a day of exploring the island’s must-visit landmarks.

Atuh Beach is another excellent option and is generally a little less crowded than Crystal Bay. For a real secret spot, be sure to check out Suwehan Beach at low tide; it’s well worth the leg workout up and down the cliffside trek!