Kutai Kartanegara. Human remains, including a head and a right leg, were discovered in the Sanga-sanga River tributary. The body parts are suspected to belong to a victim of a crocodile attack, who was reported missing on Monday.

Upon receiving reports from the public, a joint SAR team from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) in Balikpapan, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Fire Department, the police, and the military immediately went to the location in Anggana District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, where the remains were found.

The SAR team first found the human head 2.16 kilometers upstream from the Pertamina Hulu Sanga-sanga dock at around 4:40 p.m. local time. At 5:00 p.m., they found the right leg, from the thigh to the foot, not far from the first location.

Initial identification suggests the remains belong to Jatoman, a 52-year-old security officer from Pertamina Hulu Sanga-sanga, who was reported missing after a crocodile attack on Monday.

Balikpapan Basarnas Rescue Team Commander Dwi Adi Wibowo confirmed that they received reports of a life-threatening situation in the Pertamina Hulu Sanga-sanga work area, indicating that a security officer had been attacked by a large estuarine crocodile.

“On Aug. 5, we received information about a life-threatening incident where a person was attacked by a crocodile in the Pertamina Hulu Sanga-sanga work area,” Dwi said at the scene on Wednesday night.

Dwi explained that the joint SAR team conducted extensive searches using four rubber boats and thermal drones to locate the victim’s body. However, the efforts have been hampered by the presence of dangerous wildlife in the area, posing risks to the SAR team.

The discovered remains have been evacuated by the SAR team and taken to the nearest general hospital for further examination.

"The challenge we face in the field is the presence of wild animals," Dwi added.

In January, Kusworo, Head of Basarnas, announced plans to recruit crocodile handlers for Indonesia's new capital project, Nusantara, located near Balikpapan Bay in East Kalimantan, a known saltwater crocodile habitat.

Basarnas managed over 10 cases of wild animal attacks in 2023, including incidents involving both saltwater and freshwater crocodiles. Kusworo aims to involve crocodile handlers to train Basarnas personnel in Nusantara. The Balikpapan SAR office, currently with 73 personnel, covers the entire East Kalimantan region, including Nusantara. Kusworo indicated that ideally, the office should have at least 150 personnel.

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