Ridwan Kamil’s drowned son laid to rest as Bandung mourns (original) (raw)

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est Java Governor Ridwan Kamil's eldest son, who was found dead in a Swiss river after a two-week search effort, was finally laid to rest on Monday, concluding a tragedy that had captured the hearts and minds of an entire nation.

The funeral procession of Emmeril “Eril” Kahn Mumtadz took place in the family’s burial ground, located in Cimaung in Bandung regency, West Java – the hometown of Atalia Praratya, Eril’s mother and Ridwan’s wife.

Eril’s body was flown to Indonesia from Switzerland and arrived at Soekarno Hatta International Airport, on the outskirts of Jakarta, on Sunday at noon.

His body was then brought to the Pakuan building in Bandung city, where hundreds of mourners were waiting to perform Islamic prayers for Eril, who was swept away by strong currents when swimming in the Aare River in Bern. The prayers continued until morning as thousands more flocked to the building for a final farewell to the deceased before he was brought to Cimaung for burial.

Local students bearing flowers lined up along a nearby road to pay their respects when the hearse drove through, local media reported.

Eril was buried at around 11 a.m. in Cimaung. A number of West Java regional leaders, like Bogor Mayor Bima Arya and the regents of Cirebon and Karawang, Imron Rosyadi and Cellica Nurrachadiana, attended the burial.

“The past 14 days has been very tiring [for me and my family],” Ridwan said, referring to the period when Eril was missing. “But, we have learned a lot about Eril’s life. [While] it may seem short, upon closer inspection he had an eventful [life] that benefitted [a lot of people].”

“The prayers [for Eril] from across the country have been abundant signs – more than enough for us to believe that it was in God’s plan for Eril to return [to his maker],” Ridwan added.

Ridwan, who is an architect, said that he would build a mosque to remember Eril. It will be located close to his final resting place and named the Al-Mumtadz Mosque, after Eril’s last name.

The accident

Eril was last seen on May 26 when he went for a swim in the Aare with a friend and a relative. He was in Switzerland with his family to enroll in a local university.

Ridwan was on a work trip in the United Kingdom but immediately traveled to Switzerland after his son went missing. A joint search and rescue team was deployed to sweep along the Aare in a number of places, while the family looked for Eril in locations where the river could be easily accessed.

After about a week, Ridwan, along with his wife and daughter returned to Indonesia, believing their son had died.

While making her way to work, Swiss elementary teacher Geraldine Baldi spotted a body washed ashore on a section of the river at Engehalde dam last Wednesday, about two weeks after Eril went missing. Forensic investigation later confirmed Eril’s identity and that he had died from drowning.

Ridwan and his wife immediately returned to Switzerland to perform the Islamic rites of washing their son’s body at a hospital in Bern. He also met Baldi to thank her and later took to social media to share the accounts.

A nation in grief

The tragedy pulled at the heartstrings of the nation over the past two weeks. Politicians and public officials, from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to Ridwan’s fellow governors, offered their condolences and support to Ridwan and his family.

Jokowi also instructed the Foreign Ministry to ensure the smooth repatriation of Eril’s body to Indonesia, while some ministers and Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria were present at the airport when the body arrived.

Members of the public, meanwhile, turned to social media to offer prayers and thoughts during the desperate search for Eril, and later condolences and an outpouring of grief during his funeral.

With millions of followers on social media, Ridwan, a former Bandung mayor, is one of the most popular politicians and governors in the country.

Ridwan Kamil’s drowned son laid to rest as Bandung mourns (original) (raw)

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