The family of a British tourist who drowned while holidaying in Bali have shared a heartfelt tribute to the 23-year-old and the locals who tried to help.
Harrison Nada-Kontounas, 23, was swept out to sea after a rip dragged him away from friends at Bali’s Legian Point at Kuta Beach on Wednesday afternoon.
While his two friends managed to make it back to shore, Mr Nada-Kontounas was caught in the surf, battling strong currents and 30km/h winds.
Lifeguards tried to reach him but missed by just a metre.
While Mr Nada-Kontounas was still missing, his friends attempted a desperate search using money donated to a GoFundMe set up in the wake of him being washed away.
The pair scoured the beach and water for more than 32 hours and even chipped in £1,660 to fund a private helicopter when no official air search was provided.
On Friday however, the family of Mr Nada-Kontounas confirmed his body had been found about 3.2km offshore from where he was last seen.
They have since requested privacy and pledged to invest the remaining donation money towards honouring and recovering Mr Nada-Kontounas.
The family of drowned British tourist Harrison Nada-Kontounas, 23, have released a statement following his death
A major rescue operation was launched after Mr Nada-Kontounas was swept to sea in Bali on Wednesday
In a statement given to Daily Mail, the family confirmed news of their son’s death in the hours after he was found.
‘With deep sadness, we confirm that Harrison’s body was recovered today, approximately two miles offshore from where he was last seen,’ the statement read.
Mr Nada-Kontounas’ mum expressed her family’s grief and paid tribute to her ‘gentle, kind and funny’ son.
‘Harrison was one of the most gentle, kind, and funny young men you could ever meet,’ she wrote.
‘He lived his life with joy and openness, treasuring every moment and holding his family and friends as at the very centre of his world.
‘His loyalty was unwavering, his warmth shone through in every interaction, and his generous soul touched all who crossed his path.
‘He had a deep love of football, laughter came easily to him, and he had the rare gift of making others feel instantly at ease.
‘Harrison’s life, though heartbreakingly short, was filled with love, light, and friendship. He is one who left us far too early, but whose spirit will never be forgotten.’
Mr Nada-Kontounas’ close friends aided in the operation and even hired a private helicopter in an attempt to locate him
Mr Nada-Kontounas’ body was found roughly three kilometres from where he was last seen
His mum also thanked those who tirelessly searched for her son, including his friends, strangers on the beach and Balinese locals, in the hours after he went missing.
In a separate statement, the family also thanked a local lifeguard who was the one to come within metres of Mr Nada-Kontounas and was also the one to recover his body.
‘Marlon was the lifeguard who, in those first desperate minutes, came within a metre of reaching Harrison,’ the statement read.
‘It was also Marlon who later recovered Harrison’s body from the sea. The family wish to acknowledge his courage, persistence, and humanity during this tragedy.’
A friend of the family who witnessed Marlon’s efforts claimed: ‘He truly wanted to save a life, and he truly tried’.
The family explained the more than £27,000 raised through the GoFundMe would be used for repatriation costs, funeral arrangements and a donation to a charity in memory of Mr Nada-Kontounas.
A friend of Mr Nada-Kontounas previously told Daily Mail Australia the group had not been swimming in a red-flagged area as was first reported locally.
These are zones that local authorities close due to dangerous conditions.
Lifeguards initially got within a metre of saving Mr Nada-Kontounas before a rip dragged him out to sea
A GoFundMe was launched in the wake of Mr Nada-Kontounas’ disappearance in order to fund his rescue operation
Warning flags were raised in the area after Mr Nada-Kontounas had already been swept away at 4.10pm.
While his two friends managed to make it back to shore, Mr Nada-Kontounas was caught in the surf, battling strong currents and 30km/h winds.
When the local rescue operation proved insufficient, the friends took matters into their own hands.
‘We had to hire a helicopter ourselves,’ one friend said.
‘We’ve barely slept. We walked the beaches all night, asking every fisherman, every bar, every tourist to watch for Harrison.
‘When no-one came, we scraped together what money we had and hired a helicopter ourselves. We just want him found.’
‘We are overwhelmed by the wave of support from local Balinese, Australian tourists, and the international community.’
Mr Nada-Kontounas’s family and friends slammed local authorities for their lack of action soon after he went missing at sea.
Mr Nada-Kontounas’s friends deny they went swimming at Kuta Beach when there was a red flag present
The initial search for Harrison Nada-Kontounas was done on land as sea equipment was stalled
‘They had two hours of light to get the search started. These are the two critical hours for survival and they didn’t even turn up until nearly 8pm. Where were the helicopters? Where was the urgency? There was none,’ a friend said.
‘We want an investigation into what went wrong. Bali is not the safe paradise we expected it to be.
‘So many supporters on social media are reporting the dangers and deaths from swimming here, and yet warnings and protections are still inadequate.’
Mr Nada-Kontounas’s friends said there were no warnings not to enter the water and are angry that reports implied they were reckless in going swimming at the popular beach.
There were many social media posts warning of how dangerous the beaches in the Kuta area can be.
‘Even swimming between the lifesaver flags, you will get rips. Kuta just isn’t safe for swimmers,’ one person wrote.
Another said: ‘According to the locals, it’s not just the rip dragging you along, it’s also the very strong undertow and whirlpool that can pull you under.’
Witness Abbey Maree wrote: ‘It was a heartbreaking afternoon on the beach watching lifeguards searching for hours to find him.’
Tourists spend plenty of time at Kuta Beach in Bali, but locals say it can be a dangerous swimming spot when conditions get rough
‘The water was so rough at the time. I was hoping they’d bring in a few more jet skis or boats to search, perhaps a helicopter, but sadly they just don’t operate like we do back home.
‘My heart bleeds for his friends and family and everyone else on the beach helping to find him.’
The family is calling for a full investigation into the lack of urgent action by the authorities, which they believe cost crucial hours in the search for Harrison.
Mr Nada-Kontounas’s mother has since travelled to the island.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .