BADUNG, DEWATA.NEWS – Management of Canna has issued a clarification following reports that a Chinese tourist drowned on Thursday (February 12, 2026), emphasizing that the incident did not occur on a private beach owned by the venue and that the victim was not their guest.
General Manager of Canna, Iwan Suryawan, stated that the incident took place at Sawangan Beach, which is a public beach.
“We need to clarify that the location is Sawangan Beach, a public beach. We have never claimed it as Canna Beach, so referring to it as Canna Beach is inaccurate. It just happens to be located in front of our area,” Iwan said on Saturday (February 14, 2026).
Earlier reports mentioned that a 22-year-old Chinese national, identified by the initials LM, was found deceased after drowning at around 09:40 WITA. Some media outlets referred to the location as “Canna Beach” in Benoa, South Kuta, Badung.
Iwan said that using the term “Canna Beach” created the impression that the incident occurred within a private area managed by the company.
“If it is referred to as Sawangan Beach or Geger Beach, for example, the public would better understand. We are simply located in front of that beach,” he explained.
He also confirmed that the victim was not registered as a guest at Canna. Following the incident, management conducted an internal check of all registered visitors, including a group from a Chinese travel agent who were present in the area at the time.
“We inventoried all our guests because everyone is registered. The records were complete and no one was missing. This means the victim was not our guest,” he said.
The confirmation was made after coordination with relevant authorities and the police. According to Iwan, Canna’s team was among the first to respond to the emergency.
At the time of the incident, certified lifeguards and security personnel were conducting routine monitoring of guests. After a visitor shouted for help upon seeing someone being pulled offshore, the team immediately ran to the location with rescue boards and other equipment.
“We searched the area for approximately 20 minutes. The victim was eventually found face down. Our team evacuated him to the shore and checked his condition, but he was already beyond help,” Iwan stated.
Canna management said it has consistently implemented safety supervision standards for beach activities. Certified lifeguards are on duty daily, supported by security personnel and safety equipment such as rescue boards, canoes, and life buoys. Warning signs and flag systems are also installed according to weather and wave conditions.
“We routinely monitor weather and wave information. If conditions are unsafe, we raise a red flag and prohibit guests from swimming. Even for canoe activities, wearing a life jacket is mandatory,” Iwan added.
The management plans to install additional floating boundary markers offshore to indicate safe swimming zones.
“This is a lesson for all of us. However, it must be underlined that we have implemented maximum supervision, and in this incident, we were the party that initiated rescue efforts,” he concluded.
Authorities have not indicated any criminal element in the case, and the incident remains classified as a drowning at a public beach area.