Manokwari, Jubi – The joint search and rescue (SAR) team in Manokwari, West Papua Province, began the fourth day of operations to locate missing TVRI presenter Yanto Idorway with a customary ritual led by the victim’s family and local Indigenous community on Tuesday.
Idorway was reported missing after he slipped and was swept away by strong currents while visiting the Memti Waterfall tourist site in Sisrang Village, Arfak Mountains (Pegaf) Regency, West Papua, on Saturday. He had been travelling with two friends at the time.
Despite four days of search efforts, rescuers have yet to locate him.
Head of the Manokwari Search and Rescue Office, Yefri Sabarudin, said the joint SAR team paused operations upon arriving at the search area to allow the customary ceremony to take place.
“After the ritual concluded, the joint SAR team resumed the search according to the operational plan that had been prepared,” Sabarudin said on Tuesday.
He said the fourth day’s operation involved personnel from the Manokwari SAR Office, the West Papua Police’s K9 Unit, the Pegaf Police, the Pegaf Military District Command (Kodim), the victim’s family, Idorway’s colleagues from TVRI, and other volunteer SAR groups.
The operation was supported by search and rescue equipment, including a thermal drone. Search teams travelled to the site using rescue vehicles and four-wheel-drive vehicles.
As of 7 p.m. Eastern Indonesia Time (WIT), Idorway remained missing despite extensive search efforts involving dozens of personnel and specialized equipment, Sabarudin said.
He added that search conditions were hampered by overcast weather, dense fog across the rugged terrain, and cold temperatures in the mountainous area.
The search operation is scheduled to resume on Wednesday morning, with teams expected to reassess field conditions and adjust their search strategy accordingly. (*)
