Shocking video shows tourist, 20, swept away by massive wave while posing for photo in Indonesia as friends stood by helplessly
By Shane Galvin,
13 hours ago
A 20-year-old man was swept away by a gigantic wave while posing for vacation photos — which was captured by his friends, who stood by helplessly.
Roni Josua Simanjuntak was visiting the Indonesian coast with a group of friends Sunday when he decided to try to get a picture of waves crashing along the craggy coast of Kedung Tumpang Beach in East Java, according to the Mirror .
Roni in Indonesia on what would be a fatal holiday. Jam Press Vid
The water was initially calm and some of Roni’s pals were swimming off the coast’s massive rocks. But the placid waters soon turned volatile.
Video posted to social media of the horrifying incident shows the moment Roni was enveloped by a massive wave and pulled out into the Indian Ocean.
In the video, Roni can be seen holding his arms above his head on the precipice of a massive rock formation — his group of friends standing farther away at a safe distance from the water.
A massive wave came seemingly out of nowhere. Jam Press Vid
The wave can be seen swelling behind Roni, who is completely unsuspecting. The force of the water knocks Roni forward onto his hands and knees and he apparently slips down the rockface and into the rough waters.
Witnesses can be heard laughing as he was knocked off his feet — but those laughs stopped when they realized that Roni was nowhere to be seen.
Toward the end of the video posted by Mak Lambe Turah , the cameraperson zooms in on something floating in the water and being pulled from the coast and into the ocean. Onlookers apparently believed that was Roni’s body.
After he was swept off his feet, Roni seems to beckon for help. Jam Press Vid One of the last moments that Roni was seen as he struggled to stay on the surface. Jam Press Vid
Authorities were still searching Wednesday but said they will call off the effort if he is not found by Sunday.
“The waves have been between 6.5 and 14 feet in height,” said a spokesperson for the National Search and Rescue Agency of Indonesia, “creating a huge obstacle for our team.”
Roni is still considered missing.
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