Drowning of Indonesian teen at tourist spot spurs calls for tighter safety rules

Yusran first learned of the danger facing his teenage cousin, Elmi Febrianti , at an Indonesian tourist attraction in South Sulawesi when he received a frantic phone call from a family member.

Elmi, a 17-year-old Indonesian student, had been at a popular photo spot in Apparalang, Bulukumba regency, when she fell into the sea on the afternoon of 7 June while taking a selfie on the area’s picturesque limestone cliffs.

A friend who had been with the teenager at the time called her family, one of whom quickly reached Yusran the same day.

Elmi was fighting for her life as giant waves repeatedly struck her. Footage captured by bystanders later spread online, showing her signalling for help as she struggled.

“I called members of our wider family and told them to get to Apparalang immediately,” said Yusran, who like many Indonesians goes by a single name. “But by the time they got here, she had vanished.”

Following a coordinated search by the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency, Elmi’s body was found at midnight. She had been swept more than 1km (0.6 miles) from where she first fell into the water.