BULUKUMBA – Elmi Febrianti, a 17-year-old, drowned on June 7, 2026, after being swept from a clifftop photography platform into the sea at the Apparalang tourist site in South Sulawesi.
The incident has triggered a police investigation into safety standards and operator negligence at the site, coinciding with a series of fatal accidents at various tourist destinations across Indonesia.
Febrianti was visiting the Apparalang cliffs in the Bulukumba regency with her family. Around 2:30 p.m., she and a friend walked onto a wooden platform extending over the water-a location frequently used by visitors for photographs-when a wave struck the cliff edge and knocked her into the ocean.
Footage captured by other visitors and circulated on social media showed Febrianti fighting the swell and waving for help. Onlookers on the cliff were unable to reach her due to the heavy surf.
A joint search operation lasted nearly nine hours, with recovery teams locating her body around midnight. She was found floating approximately 1.5 kilometers from the point where she fell.
Investigation into Site Safety
The death of the teenager prompted an immediate response from local authorities. Bulukumba police have launched an inquiry to determine if the operators of the Apparalang site were negligent in providing adequate safety measures for visitors, including barriers, warning signs, and emergency procedures.
Andi Imran Hamid, the local criminal investigation chief, stated that officers are gathering evidence and questioning witnesses and site operators. Police Chief Restu Wijayanto confirmed that the Apparalang site has been closed and cordoned off to facilitate the investigation and prevent further accidents. Officials say they are also reviewing whether the platform complied with engineering and licensing requirements for tourism facilities.
The regional legislature has also intervened. Deputy speaker Syahruni Haris announced that the site operator, the tourism office, and the national search and rescue agency were summoned to a hearing on June 9 to explain supervision lapses and clarify which agency held primary responsibility for risk assessments at Apparalang.
Under Indonesia’s national Tourism Law, operators are legally required to ensure the safety and security of visitors and to apply recognized standards for higher-risk activities. The House hearing is expected to examine whether Apparalang’s managers fulfilled those obligations set out in Law No. 10/2009 on Tourism.
Elmi Febrianti, 17, drowned after a wave swept her off a clifftop photo spot at the Apparalang tourist site in South Sulawesi on June 7, 2026. Photo courtesy of Facebook.
Pattern of Fatalities at Indonesian Attractions
The accident in South Sulawesi is the most recent in a string of deaths occurring at Indonesian tourist landmarks, raising questions regarding infrastructure maintenance, private operator oversight, and visitor safety protocols at destinations that have grown rapidly in popularity.
- May 24, 2026 (Flores): Two Austrian tourists died after a suspension bridge collapsed on the trail to the Cunca Wulang waterfall in West Manggarai. An inspection following the collapse revealed a worn structure with loose planks, a lack of warning signs, and no insurance coverage for visitors, despite tourism businesses being required under the national framework to protect guests engaged in higher-risk activities.
- West Java: A 39-year-old Saudi national died after his jet ski capsized off Bubalu Beach in Pelabuhanratu. Local police reported that the vessel was struck by a large wave. Although bystanders recovered him from the water, he died of his injuries. The incident has renewed scrutiny of how water-sport rentals are supervised and whether operators assess sea conditions before allowing tourists to depart.
In the Flores case, police are currently examining whether the operator of the waterfall trail was negligent in the maintenance of the bridge and in failing to close access despite visible structural wear.
The Saudi Embassy in Jakarta has since arranged for the repatriation of the man who died in West Java. Diplomats have informally raised concerns over safety standards at coastal recreation sites, according to local officials, adding a diplomatic dimension to what Indonesian lawmakers are increasingly treating as a systemic tourism-governance problem.
With tourism a key pillar of Indonesia’s regional development strategy, authorities are under pressure to demonstrate that local attractions are being monitored and licensed in line with national standards, not only promoted. The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has previously highlighted the need for safer and better-managed destinations in official briefings, and legal scholars note that the core obligations on operators and government are already set out in Law No. 10/2009 and its implementing regulations. Global visitors, meanwhile, are routinely advised to pay close attention to local safety conditions and emergency access when visiting natural attractions such as cliffs, waterfalls, and open-sea beaches.
