10 Days Searching for Missing Journalist Group, SAR Officer: Fear is Natural, but Hope Must Remain
LAMPUNG, KOMPAS.com - Smoke was still billowing from Mount Anak Krakatau (GAK) when Rezie Kuswara Nunyai, Head of the Bakauheni SAR Post, and his team steered their rubber boat toward the volcanic area.
Before them lay not just a vast sea, but shifting currents, rising waves, limited visibility, and a volcano that could erupt again at any moment.
However, there was one reason that kept Rezie moving closer: eight people remained missing.
Five of them were journalists who had set out to cover Anak Krakatauβs activity.
The other three were crew members and a guide who had taken them from the waters off Carita, Banten.
For Rezie, every minute spent searching was a chance for hope.
"Fear is natural. Itβs impossible not to be afraid. When we entered, we didnβt know if the volcano could erupt again in minutes or hours," Rezie told Kompas.com on Friday (18/9/2026).
"But we pushed that fear aside because we hoped they were still holding out in the Krakatau area," he said.
Rezie first received information about the eight missing people on Tuesday (8/9/2026).
A journalist from Antara News in Lampung contacted him after the group that left Carita for the Anak Krakatau area failed to arrive at Sebesi Island as planned.
Rezie then coordinated with the Banten SAR Office to verify the information.
One crucial clue was soon obtained: the last known location shared by one of the journalists via a live location feature.
"That share location became our initial point of reference. From there, the search began," Rezie said.
Banten SAR deployed RIB boats from the Pandeglang SAR Post. The Lampung team also mobilized with RIB 02 and RIB 03, combing the waters from Sebesi Island toward the Anak Krakatau region.
There, they faced one of the most tense moments of the operation.
The team decided to get closer to the GAK area. Smoke was still visible.
Volcanic ash was lingering around the vicinity as well.
"We forced our way into the front area of Krakatau because we hoped to find signs," Rezie said.
They scoured several points around Sertung, Rakata Besar, and Panjang Island.
But the sea held the answer: no speedboat, no bags, no clothes. No signs that could pinpoint where the eight had gone.
The search did not stop despite increasingly difficult terrain. On the third and fourth days, the weather changed. Waves in some areas reached 1.5 to 2 meters.
Small boats faced currents and waves head-on as they combed areas inaccessible to larger vessels.
