Rajamandala-point between the time the meeting with the Citarum Cihea in Cianjur regency, West Java 17 April 1975 dawn is already filled by thousands of people. Dozens of raft derived from the trucks that had arrived from Jakarta and Bandung. Then the rally participants Citarum 1 mingled with the audience. There was no sign of anything going on during the preparation. Everything went smoothly. But a few hours later, the tragedy happened. Five participants died in the violence of the current suit Citarum river. Big commotion erupted. Bandung Perrs most shocking news was blowing, though the information is still vague.
Three journalists from the capital ( Kompas, Suara Karya, Merdeka, and a cameraman from TVRI Hendro Subroto) feel devastated. Not because of preliminaries in the news, but because of coverage following the rally that stalled was frozen, because that night turned into a hot Bandung.
A number of ITB students staged that night looking for members of the association of nature lovers Wanadri. Rally organizers had to hurl anger death due to a crisscrossing the news. Bandung newspaper headlines the next day rather than defuse the atmosphere, but instead exacerbate mood
First Victim
Before the rally, the rainy season in the year 1975 it has not abated. Citarum river when it flowed freely as the water flow rises.in passing, the field is quite ideal to hold a boat race, a challenge to the spirit of adventure lovers of nature. Can be expected to reply overwhelmed Wanadri committee holds great desire of the youth from Bandung and Jakarta to participate as a few days earlier that killed a rolled flow the trainining and selection. Both the first ITB students majoring Sharif hidayat from the engine, he was killed multiplied Cikapundung Bandung in practice session. Second Widiatmoko dari electronics majors. He died at around Rajamandala, both thrown from their raft before swallowing flow. However, still no deterrent, it noted participants ITB most 14 teams. Then the University of Padjadjaran (UNPAD) Bandung 13 teams, the Marine Corps and the 4th Battalion, 2nd Battalion, each team 4 and 2, followed by DKI JAYA 2 team and AIRUD police squads and ARMY each team 1.
They are who pass the selection to use a rubber boat with 75 crew members each 6 people. Also passed in the selection criteria for the ability to swim, boat control, team cohesiveness and the ability to overcome adversity. So, has fulfilled the conditions needed to ensure safety.
Depths of Satan
But then calamity that took five lives could not help it happen, too.Though two hours earlier, where the start, after the poem was read about the adventures of young people's desire for natural bow, Admiral Sudomo as chairman of the Indonesian Waters Sports with bright removing participants with strike his ax to a boat mooring ropes
The route to be in the participant go on rubber boats "Mark 10" is Rajamandala-Jatiluhur in so far as 75 km. Distance was in for three-phase to three days. But not yet been traveled route 20 km first stage Rajamandala-bayabang, heartbreaking tragedy occurred. their boat overturned in general in the place called Leuwi jurig (depths of Satan), only 500 m away from the start in Rajamandala. Deep vortex is so heavy and the river full of large stones invisible because the river water flow going up. On the plus-curve also with a sharp bend in the river, no doubt a big stones did not seem a threat that could not be avoided for participants careless. His clever as clever as people swimming, if it has been thrown into the middle of the vortex flow depths of Satan, do not expect to survive without help.
Unfortunately, among the participants themselves much tied his body to the boat without using a snap ring (key-binding that is easy on the open). As a result, when the boat overturned they can not break away from the boat, even things like a giant pot of people covered. This experienced victim of CSB (studiosorumBandungense corpus), which overturned the boat and managed to pull over and caught in tree roots. The locals have a hunch, the boat was inside. Hunch proved right, after in reverse, found the body inside Syailendra Malik, UNPAD law students, who already stiff. He entwined his own boat rope. Evidently when the accident occurred, did not have time to open Syailendra rope wrapped around her body
Another victim was Tatang Gurnita, students majoring in Bandung ATN machine, then Naziwir Pasaribu from ITB industrial engineering majors, Didit Satriyadi from law school and Adang UNPAD Sofyan from Midshipman Coordinating Body Works Bandung.
Forwarded
Tragically, two helicopter types alloete of the SAR team was also provided the committee can not do much in the depths of Satan.Two helicopters had to fly low to examine the field when the catastrophe preach. But the accident site field gap Gap and the river lot Citarumpun its many corners, so the helicopter could not hovering (flying in place) . Doing it as a suicide because the suction rotor will form a vacuum bag. This could cause the river crashing aircraft crashed (stall). However, after Kopassandha unity under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel. (Inf) Sentot (now dead) conducted field research among rural warung jeruk and Jatiluhur, the race continues, but the route between Warung Jeruk- Bayangbang are canceled to avoid increasing the victim.
Thus, only the route-Jatiluhur WarungJeruk, the route last stage, that is used as a route race. As a symbol that the race was underway, on the last stage that all the boats towed by a motor boat to the reservoir Jatiluhur. Appear On Sand Island, the participants to anchor their boats. The next day they rowed to the finish. Admiral Sudomo, Maj. Gen. Sutanto Himawan (then Regional Commander Siliwangi VI) and Ana GP (then Governor of West Java) waiting for them there.
Third regional rowing team is set as the winner. DKI Jaya I and II received the most sportsmanlike team predicate because services to help victims come so late to finish. Was the title of the most resilient team in team won SPB (Youth union banc), or fine art student association ITB. Year 1975 is truly the blackest in the history of sports life in Indonesia. Years of the program is a bitter year for the club Wanadri nature lovers, who previously had a fragrance.
Source: Tabloid Bola 27 April 1984
