THIS is the tragic last moment of a teen girl’s life before she was washed away by a wave – as her friends watched on in horror.
Merlin Septiana, 18, was having fun with her friends taking pictures at a beach in Indonesia on Thursday before a photo unknowingly captured her final moments.
The photo of Merlin was taken moments before she vanishedViralPress
A desperate search was carried out to try and rescue Merlin, but it was no useViralPress
The photo shows Merlin resting on a rock that’s facing the roaring ocean of Semeti Beach in the Central Lombok Regency.
Taken seconds before her horrifying demise at 3pm local time, the young girl can be seen wearing headphones and smiling at the camera.
Footage shows frantic locals trying to rescue Merlin, seen in the video desperately clinging onto a boulder as the churning waters battered her.
People can be heard wailing and screaming in the background, as they are unable to do anything but stare out at the ocean in disbelief.
There appears to be a piece of white fabric lying on the rocks, too, which could be a piece of Merlin’s clothes.
Lalu Wahyu Efendi, head of the Mataram Search and Rescue Office, said Merlin’s friends tried desperately to save her with tools.
He said: “Efforts by her friends to help using makeshift tools such as wood and fishing rods were unsuccessful.
“Local residents immediately reported to the police.”
It took two agonising hours for authorities to locate Merlin’s body, which was being thrashed against the rocks by the violent waters.
From vanishing around 3pm, it took until 5.13pm for Merlin’s corpse to be discovered.
Ridwan Mak’ruf, chief executive of the Central Lombok Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), confirmed that Merlin was already dead by the time she was found.
It is thought that her headphones may have blocked the sound of the waves.
Merlin’s body has been returned to her family in Tanak Awu village.
On October 13, a male student was also washed away by a wave at a beach cliff in Indonesia.
Roni Josua Simanjuntak, 20, from North Sumatra, was standing on wet rocks with several friends when the wave crashed into the boulders.
This sent whitewater rushing inwards at the Kedung Tumpang Beach in East Java.
His corpse was found drifting face-down off Karang Payung Beach on October 18.
Indonesia‘s beaches pose several dangers including strong rip currents, rogue waves, and unpredictable tides.
This can make the shores extremely dangerous, especially for inexperienced swimmers.
A piece of white fabric can be seen washed up on the rocks, which could be Merlin although it is unconfirmedViralPress
Those trying to rescue Merlin tried to reach her, but struggled to overcome the powerful waters that took herViralPress