This is the shocking moment a tourist was swept away by a huge wave while posing for photographs at a famous Indonesian coastal spot.
Rony Josua Simanjuntak, 21, from North Sumatra, was visiting Kedung Tumpang beach in East Java on October 13 when the tragedy occurred.
The young man was standing on wet rocks with several friends when a huge wave crashed into the rocks around them, causing the rapids to rush inward.
Dramatic footage shows the young man initially smiling with his arms outstretched before being thrown from the jagged rocks jutting out from the shoreline.
His friends, perched on the cliffs, laughed before realizing the horror of the situation as the ocean swept their friend out of the lagoon and into the open sea.
Rescue teams continue searching for the missing young man.
Rony Josua Simanjuntak, 21, from North Sumatra, was standing on wet rocks before being swept away by the large wave. In the photo above left
The huge wave crashed into him as his friends watched in horror.
Horror images captured the moment the tourist was swept away by the huge wave while posing for photographs at the coastal location.
Simanjuntak could be seen standing behind his friend on the rock before he was swept away by the waters.
His friend posed with his arms raised, unaware of the incident unfolding behind him.
Simanjuntak quickly disappeared into the water and is still missing
Iptu Bambang Kurniawan, Pucanglaban police chief, said Rony had arrived at the beach with 15 other university students in the morning.
He said: ‘His friends didn’t dare to help at that time, because the waves were so big.
‘Immediately, the victim was dragged by the waves into the middle of the sea. The others survived.
Nanag Pujo, head of the Trenggalek search and rescue unit, said a search was launched involving three squads.
One team scoured the sea in rubber boats deployed from Sine Beach, five miles west of Kedung Tumpang Beach, while two other groups searched along the cliffs where Rony disappeared.
He added: ‘Because the terrain at Kedung Tumpang beach was too rough, rubber boats were lowered from Sine beach.
‘Despite the sunny weather, the big waves were the main challenge we had to face.
‘We are aware that young people and tourists like to visit this area to take photographs.
‘But now we advise you to stay away from or avoid going near the water. It’s very dangerous.’
Muhamad Hariyadi, head of the Surabaya search and rescue office, said the mission was still ongoing on Wednesday, October 16, and no sign of the young man was found.
Kedung Tumpang Beach in Tulungagung, East Java, is known for its stunning coastal landscape of lagoons and natural rock pools.
Rony Josua Simanjuntak, 21, from North Sumatra, was standing on wet rocks before being swept away by the large wave.
Rescuers continue searching for missing man
A rescue team scoured the sea in inflatable boats in search of Simanjuntak
The man’s friends did not attempt to rescue him at the time because the waves were too big.
Instead of long sandy shorelines stretching along the coast, it has craggy rock formations and tide pools.
However, the beautiful terrain is also dangerous during high tide, when rough waters can sweep unsuspecting visitors into deeper waters.
In 2016, two tourists, Aris and Imam, both 25, were also swept away by a wave while taking selfies on the same beach.
In November last year, academics in Australia said taking selfies was now a “public health issue”.
The experts analyzed scientific articles and media reports on injuries or deaths from selfies around the world since 2008.
They found that nearly 400 had been reported over the 13-year period of the study, including 77 in the US.
The victims were most likely tourists in their twenties, who fell and drowned while taking a photograph, the two leading causes of death.
The researchers said the public must be made aware of the risks posed by selfies – an estimated 92 million of them are taken each day worldwide – and urged social media apps to install software to warn people of the dangers when they go to take a selfie.