The third victim was found dead by fishermen around the waters of East Manggar BelitungBelitung, Bangka Belitung Isla (ANTARA) - Belitung, Bangka Belitung Isla (ANTARA) - Fishermen in Bangka Belitung Islands found the body of 2nd Sub-Inspector (Aipda) Joko Mudo, the third victim of the police NBO 105 helicopter that crashed in the East Belitung waters on Sunday (Nov 27).
"The third victim was found dead by fishermen around the waters of East Manggar Belitung," Head of the National SAR Agency for Babel Islands Province, I Made Oka Astawa, stated in Manggar, Bangka Belitung Islands, Wednesday.
Astawa said the helicopter technician was found on Tuesday (Nov 29) at 23:00 p.m. at 03 02' 57.1" South Latitude, 108 30' 17.7 East Longitude, some 16.5 nautical miles from the crash site.
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"Until now, three victims have been found. They were 1st Brigadier Khairul Anam, 1st Brigadier Mochamad Lasminto, and 2nd Sub-Inspector Joko Mudo, while the helicopter pilot, Adjunct Commissioner Arif Rahman Saleh, has not been found," he remarked.
Astawa stated that the bodies of Anam and Lasminto would be flown to Pondok Cabe Airport, Jakarta, on Wednesday.
"The two bodies will be flown to Jakarta using a police's CASA plane," he remarked.
Anam's body was found by the joint SAR team on the first day of the search. Meanwhile, Lasminto's body was evacuated on the second day of the search.
"Today, the search for one more victim is still focused in the Manggar Waters, and hopefully, Arif Rahman Saleh will be found soon," he remarked.
On Sunday (Nov 27), two NBO 105 helicopters of the Marine and Air Police (Polairud), with register numbers P-1103 and P-1113, were flying from Palangkaraya to Pangkalan Bun.
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The two helicopters carried four crew members respectively: the crew of the P-1103 helicopter, Police Adjunct Commissioner (AKP) Arif Rahman, Police 1st Brigadier (Briptu) Lasminto, Police 2nd Sub-Inspector (Aipda) Joko M, and Police 2nd Brigadier (Bripda) Muhammad Khoirul Anam.
Police Adjunct Commissioner (AKP) Togu, Police 2nd Inspector (Ipda) Rexy Subroto, Police Chief Brigadier (Bripka) Soleh, and Police 2nd Brigadier (Bripda) Erwin were crew members of the P-1113 helicopter.
Both helicopters were in airworthy condition. While flying through bad weather, the captain, the P-1113 helicopter's pilot, decided to ascend to five thousand feet. He then took the decision to descend to an altitude of 3,500 feet.
At 14:24 local time, the captain, the pilot of the P-1113 helicopter, attempted to call the P-1103 helicopter crew via its radio frequency though did not receive any answer.
Thereafter, the captain, the P-1113 helicopter's pilot, checked the position of the P-1103 helicopter on the monitoring tower after landing at the Tanjung Pandang Airport. However, it was no longer visible.
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Translator: Aprionis, Sri Haryati
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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