They lived a life of struggle on humanitarian missions. In their minds, humanity transcends boundaries, let alone identities. Now, they have taken their “final flight” from this world.
Zulhawary, 37, and dozens of other officers at the Central Java branch of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) could not hold back their tears upon bidding their final farewells to their four colleagues. In their hearts, these four always stood at the front line of many humanitarian missions.
Zulhawary, familiarly called Zul, had never imagined that he would be involved in evacuating the body of his close friend Maulana Affandi, 26. Zul and Affandi had worked together for almost seven years as spokespersons for the Central Java Basarnas. In addition to working together in various disaster and accident rescue operations, the two of them actively provided the most updated information to the media.
“This is the occupational hazard of being Basarnas spokespersons. We are not like any other spokespersons who work comfortably behind desks. We constantly put our lives in danger, as it is difficult for the public and journalists to reach areas of operations that are dangerous,” said Zul, who joined the Central Java Basarnas in 2007.
Eight people were killed in the Basarnas helicopter crash on a cliff on Mt. Butak in Canggal village, Candiroto district, Temanggung regency, Central Java, on Sunday (2/7/2017), comprising four Central Java Basarnas officers and four helicopter crew members.
The four Basarnas officers have been identified as Maulana Affandi, 26; Nyoto Purwanto, 36; Budi Restiyanto, 42; and Catur Bambang Sulistyo, 30. The four members of the helicopter crew have been identified as Sea Capt. Haryanto, Sea Capt. II Solihin, Chief Sgt. Mpu Hari Marsono and Chief Warrant Officer Ipu Budi Santoso.
Zul and Affandi were the only two spokespersons of the Central Java Basarnas, and the shared their duties over the Idul Fitri holidays. Zul monitored the East Brebes toll road exit and Affandi, the Gringsing toll road. In response to Sunday’s eruption at Sileri Crater in Dieng Plateau, as Affandi was closer than Zul to the disaster site, he was ordered to join the team monitoring and assisting the evacuation at the crater.
Pride of the family
Affandi’s death left his family in grief. Amid his busy schedule of humanitarian missions, Affandi was preparing a tedak siten ceremony for his seven-month-old son, Dresta Dyuma Diyakta Affandi.
In the Javanese tradition, tedak siten marks the time an infant starts to walk. It symbolizes deep respect for the earth one walks upon and also symbolizes the parents’ hope that the baby will one day become independent, walking on their own.
At the family’s home in Sapen hamlet of Boja subdistrict, Boja district, Kendal regency, Affandi’s brother-in-law Teguh Eko, 32, said that Affandi had wanted a joyous tedak siten ceremony for his infant son. “That was Affandi’s last message to us. The ceremony will still be held, even without him there,” Teguh said.
At Budi Restiyanto’s home, his uncle Bambang Sardjito, 62, said that Budi was always ready to lend a hand and he loved volunteering. Since his days as a teenager, Budi had been active in social organizations, including the local Boy Scouts. Budi joined Basarnas through a civilian recruitment process in 2007 and was always proud of his job. “The family has let him go. He was a great help to many people and for his family,” Bambang said in halting speech.
The evacuation of the helicopter crash victims was heartbreaking for the Central Java Basarnas officers. They had to evacuate their colleagues, with whom they had been on many missions together.
Prabowo, 26, a communication equipment operator at the Semarang Search and Rescue who was about to take leave on Sunday afternoon after two weeks on duty in Brebes, could not believe it when he heard that his close friend Nyoto Purwanto had been killed in the helicopter crash.
“He is like a big brother or even a parent to me. He is highly professional and down-to-earth,” Prabowo said.
Heavy clouds of mourning hung low over Monday’s memorial ceremony for the eight departed officers at the Ahmad Yani Air Base in Semarang on. Around 300 individuals, comprising officers from Basarnas, the Indonesian National Army and the police, as well as regional government officials and family members, attended the memorial. They gave their final respects to the brave souls of these humanitarian warriors.
(KRN/WHO/DIM)