A BRIT tourist is feared drowned in Bali after lifeguards allegedly ignored desperate screams for help – with one said to have been “sat scrolling on his phone” as the tragedy unfolded.
Harrison Edward Nada Kontounas, 23, from East London, vanished beneath the waves at Legian Beach on Wednesday after being caught in a powerful riptide.
Harrison Edward Nada Kontounas, 23, went missing on Wednesday in Bali[/caption]
Lifeguards allegedly ignored desperate screams for help – with one said to have been “sat scrolling on his phone”[/caption]
Harrison vanished beneath the waves at Legian Beach as he got caught in a powerful riptide[/caption]
His close friend Freddie Palmer, 23, who was on the sand at the time, has accused lifeguards and search crews of catastrophic delays, claiming their inaction cost Harrison his life.
Palmer told The Sun: “The last 24 hours have been the most devastating of our lives.
“We were four 23-year-old boys from England on holiday. Three of us went into the sea, one stayed on shore. Only two made it back – not Harrison.”
He claimed lifeguards were slow to react as the group and horrified bystanders shouted for help.
“Harrison submerged before our eyes but the lifeguard on duty was sitting on his phone, not even looking at the water,” he said. “By the time they responded, it was already too late.”
According to Palmer, red flags warning tourists not to enter the surf were only put up after the incident – despite local news reports suggesting they had already been in place.
When emergency crews eventually arrived, Palmer said they turned up “hours later” with “little more than flashlights” and told the group they would have to wait until morning.
He claimed: “We alerted the lifeguards at 5 p.m., but the coastguard, helicopters and search and rescue didn’t show up until three hours later – and even then they had no proper gear to help us.”
The distraught friends took matters into their own hands. Palmer said the group searched through the night themselves, patrolling 15km of coastline with flashlights.
“We were exhausted and desperate,” he said. “Meanwhile, lifeguards were laughing, scrolling on their phones, showing no urgency while we begged for help.”
The following morning, Palmer claimed, the promised search team appeared nearly two hours late – and only brought “one rubber boat and a jet ski”.
With hope fading, the young men scraped together £1,700 of their own money to hire a private helicopter for a 50-minute sweep, but still no trace of Harrison was found.
He added: “Harrison was wearing bright orange shorts. If a proper search had been carried out from the start, we are certain he could have been spotted.”
Local officials said winds reached 30km/h as Kontounas was swept away, and that rough conditions made it impossible to deploy full rescue equipment in the water.
The Head of the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas), I Nyoman Sidakarya, said: “We urge you to be careful when engaging in outdoor activities, including beach tourism.
“We received a report at 18.40 WITA, that a foreigner had drowned from Mr Ipel, Balawiata Kuta, then five personnel were dispatched to the location.
“Our initial step is to coordinate with witnesses and other SAR elements. If he is not found tomorrow morning (today), we can determine our next action plan.”
Palmer has accused Bali authorities of trying to downplay the response failures. “The police and search and rescue teams are trying to cover this up,” he claimed.
“We need every bit of support possible to find our friend – dead or alive – before it’s too late.”
Friends of Harrison also posted appeals online, writing in one Bali travel group: “Close friend was swept out to sea by a riptide today from Kuta beach at 5pm local time. He has not been found.”
Kuta and neighbouring Legian beaches are notorious for strong rips and undertows.
One traveller warned: “Even swimming between the lifesaver flags you will get rips. Kuta just isn’t safe for swimmers.”
Another added: “According to the locals it’s not just the rip dragging you along, it’s also the very strong undertow and whirlpool that can pull you under.”
Eyewitness Abbey Maree said: “It was a heartbreaking afternoon on the beach watching lifeguards searching for hours to find him.
“The water was so rough at the time. I was hoping they’d bring in a few more jet skis or boats to search, perhaps a helicopter, but sadly they just don’t operate like we do back home.
“My heart bleeds for his friends and family and everyone else on the beach helping to find him.”
Kontounas still remains missing, leaving friends and family desperate for answers.
Palmer claimed, the promised search team failed to appear until nearly two hours later[/caption]
Search teams yesterday continued to sweep the coastline but Kontounas remained missing last night[/caption]
