Jet skier's family raises search funds

Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 11/13/2008 10:36 AM 

 

The family of veteran jet skier Jeremy Hoyland, who went missing in Bali last month, is raising funds for another rescue operation, saying they have faith that the jet-ski race official at the Asian Beach Games is still alive.

 

A charity concert was scheduled to be held at St. John's Junior School in Penistone, UK, on Wednesday, where Jeremy's daughters Georgia, 11, and Ellena, 13, are set to sing. Georgia is a student a the school and Ellena used to study there.

 

Their mother Jacqui Hoyland pledged to continue all attempts to find the father of two young girls.

 

"I have a private company which will stand *100,000 more and I will spend it all. I will not stop until I find him. I'm a realist, but I have to know either way. I have to bring him home -- alive or dead. I have to do that for my daughters at least," Jacqui said earlier this week as quoted by British daily Yorkshire Post.

 

On Oct. 24, 2008, Jeremy went missing on a jet-ski trip to Tanjung Benoa near Nusa Dua, Bali, from Nusa Lembongan Island, where he had gone on a borrowed jet ski with friends before being due to officiate at a race.

 

The first ever Asian Beach Games, from Oct. 18 to Oct. 26, 2008, was attended by at least 3,000 athletes and officials from 43 countries.

 

After staying in Bali for 11 days to join the search in Bali, Jacqui reportedly appealed, to no avail, for help from the UK government to persuade the Indonesian authorities to act more, after the massive search was called off after seven days.

 

"I only found out at the weekend that they stopped looking for Jeremy on October 31. I'm absolutely devastated. I know that if he is alive, Jeremy will not give in. But I understand that every day that goes by, our chance of finding him is slipping away," she told the newspaper.

 

Bali Search and Rescue (SAR) team chief Ketut Parwa said standard procedure for locating a missing person stipulated a seven-day search window, starting from the day the person was reported missing. He added the team, aided by Indonesian police, the Military and local residents, had done their utmost during the search.

 

"Our helicopters even searched all the way to Sumbawa Island, you know, and still we found nothing. Right now, we are monitoring the radio airwaves and informing vessels and local residents to report to us or nearby police on any signs of Jeremy's presence," he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

 

Sumbawa is an island near Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara Province, east of Bali.

 

Parwa said if the family still wanted to look for Jeremy, they would have to fund the operation themselves.

 

"We cannot take part if they still want to look for him," he said.

 

He added seven helicopters and four boats had been deployed during the seven-day search. To date, there are no reports of wreckage from the jet ski.

 

The family has set up a website, jeremyhoylandrescue.myblogsite.com, and a Facebook account that provide information on donating money and sending encouraging support messages to the family.

 

A post titled "Please keep Jeremy Hoyland in your prayer" uploaded on www.pwcforums.co.uk, also invites responses since Jeremy's daughters participate in the forum.

 

"Every night we light him a candle so he can see his way home," Jacqui said.