Jakarta Tourist Dies at Pink Beach in Komodo National Park

Labuan Bajo — A 49-year-old domestic tourist named Gustaf died after an incident at Pink Beach in Komodo National Park on 10 November 2021, according to local media reports citing the Labuan Bajo search and rescue coordinator. The incident date in these reports is November 2021; no independent source supports a 20 September 2026 event at Pink Beach involving a 49-year-old Jakarta tourist.

Local news outlet Katantt reports that Gustaf, 49, from Jakarta, was on a one-day trip using the tourist boat KM SIP 1, visiting several destinations in the Komodo area, including Pink Beach. According to this account, the boat operator informed the Labuan Bajo search and rescue post that a tourist had drowned at Pink Beach at around 16:30 WITA on Wednesday, 10 November 2021.

Katantt cites the Labuan Bajo search and rescue coordinator, who said the report from the KM SIP 1 operator stated that a tourist had drowned at Pink Beach and identified the victim as Gustaf, approximately 49 years old, from Jakarta. The coordinator explained that the victim was travelling with a group of around 14 companions on a one-day tour in Labuan Bajo.

Rescue and evacuation

According to Katantt’s report, the victim was found floating and unconscious in the water at Pink Beach and was brought ashore before being taken to the auxiliary community health centre (pustu) in Komodo Village. The same report notes that Gustaf received initial cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or cardiac and pulmonary resuscitation at or near the scene before being transported onward.

From Komodo Village, the victim’s body was evacuated by a joint team to Labuan Bajo. Katantt describes a multi-agency operation involving personnel from the Labuan Bajo search and rescue (Basarnas) post, the local water police unit (Polairud), the Labuan Bajo naval base, Komodo National Park staff, the Labuan Bajo port authority and harbourmaster office (KSOP), and the maritime police unit at Labuan Bajo.

The evacuation proceeded by boat to Labuan Bajo port, from where an ambulance transported the victim to Komodo Regional General Hospital (RSUD Komodo) in Labuan Bajo. Katantt reports that the coordinator said the evacuation vessel arrived at Labuan Bajo port on Thursday, 11 November 2021, and that the body was later flown to Jakarta the same day.

Victim and circumstances

Katantt identifies the victim as Gustaf, 49, a tourist from Jakarta, but does not provide a family name beyond that. The incident location is described as Pink Beach within the Komodo National Park area, on Komodo Island. The reported incident time is around 16:30 WITA on 10 November 2021, during a snorkelling and beach visit segment of the group’s tour.

The reports describe the event as a drowning during snorkelling or swimming at Pink Beach, but do not present a medically certified cause of death. Katantt notes that, based on information from companions, the victim had not previously complained of health problems during the trip before being found floating and unresponsive in the water.

Date and reporting

Media coverage from November 2021 consistently places this incident on Wednesday, 10 November 2021, with evacuation and repatriation activities continuing on 11 November 2021. No independent reports from August or September 2026 describe a similar incident involving a 49-year-old Jakarta tourist at Pink Beach.

Separate coverage from other outlets documents later fatal incidents at Long Pink Beach and Pink Beach in the Komodo National Park area, involving foreign tourists from New Zealand and China in 2024, 2025 and 2026, mostly linked to snorkelling activities and suspected exhaustion or drowning. These later cases differ in date, location details, age, nationality and circumstances from the November 2021 incident involving Gustaf.

Subsequent media coverage of later fatalities discusses scrutiny of guiding practices and safety equipment such as life jackets, but does not link those discussions directly to Gustaf’s case.

Sources

• Katantt - Jenazah Wisatawan yang Meninggal di Pink Beach TNK Diterbangkan ke Jakarta
• detikTravel - Snorkeling di Pink Beach Labuan Bajo, Turis New Zealand Tewas