22.07.2026 21:10
After 15-year-old Eda drowned in the Büyük Menderes River in Aydın's İncirliova district, the lifeless body of 11-year-old Şahin was also found. Meanwhile, footage of the moment the two children were swept away by the river current has emerged.
In the İncirliova district of Aydın, the lifeless body of 11-year-old Şahin Özdağ, who went missing after entering the Büyük Menderes River to cool off, was found after approximately 94 hours of intensive search efforts. Teams searched up to about 15 kilometers downstream from where the children disappeared and found Şahin Özdağ's lifeless body about 3 kilometers from the scene.
EDA'S LIFELESS BODY FOUND FIRST The incident occurred on Sunday, July 18, in the Büyük Menderes River passing through the boundaries of the İncirliova district. According to information obtained, 15-year-old Eda Kurtulmuş and 11-year-old Şahin Özdağ, who had come to the banks of the Menderes River for a picnic with friends, entered the river to play ball and disappeared while trying to catch a runaway ball. Upon notification, AFAD, gendarmerie, fire department, medical teams, and numerous search and rescue personnel were dispatched to the area. In the initial efforts involving 32 divers, 6 boats, and about 90 personnel, Eda Kurtulmuş's lifeless body was reached in the 21st hour of the incident. Efforts continued uninterrupted to find Şahin Özdağ.
Civil search and rescue teams also supported the efforts conducted under AFAD coordination. Considering the effect of the current, the search area was expanded, and teams extended their operations up to the borders of Söke and Didim districts. While the water surface was scanned with boats, diver teams conducted underwater searches at designated points. Teams working on land carried out detailed inspections in reed areas and along the riverbank.
In addition to official teams, neighborhood residents also supported the search efforts. Citizens who had been waiting hopefully along the riverbank for days participated in search activities along the river alongside the teams. While cleaning work was carried out at certain points with machinery in the area, spots where the current could have swept them were checked one by one.
HEARTBREAKING NEWS FROM ŞAHİN AS WELL After approximately 94 hours of efforts, 11-year-old Şahin Özdağ's lifeless body was reached about 3 kilometers from the point where he disappeared. The body recovered from the water was taken to the hospital morgue for an autopsy.
MOMENTS OF BEING SWEPT AWAY BY THE CURRENT ON CAMERA Meanwhile, footage emerged showing the moments when the two friends were swept away by the current. The footage includes scenes of a group of children playing ball in the river, followed by some of the children being swept away and the moments of panic.