Day 5: How Rescuers Scour Sunda Strait for Missing Journalists - Tempo.co English
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Joint search and rescue (SAR) teams widened their sweep on Saturday, September 12, 2026, for five journalists and three crew members missing at sea. The effort entered its fifth day after the group lost contact in the waters surrounding Mount Anak Krakatau on Monday, September 7, 2026.
“We are expanding the search area by dividing the zone into several sectors across both sea and air routes,” Banten Search and Rescue Office Head Al Amrad said on Saturday, as quoted by news agency Antara.
He explained that the maritime search spans six dedicated sectors, namely Sectors T, U, Z, W, X, and Y, covering a combined area of roughly 2,537 square nautical miles. Meanwhile, aerial sweeps under Sector H encompass approximately 2,063 square nautical miles.
However, Amrad stressed that rescuer safety remains the priority given the unpredictable maritime conditions in the Sunda Strait. “We will continue to exert maximum efforts to locate the eight missing individuals,” he said.
The maritime operation deploys a vast fleet of vessels, including naval and SAR ships KRI Kerambit, KP Sanjaya, KAL Pahawang, KRI Leuser, KAL Anyer, KN SAR Antasena, KN SAR Basudewa, TB Gunung Santri, KP Hayabusa, RIB 02 Banten, KN SAR Tetuka 247, RBB Pulau Peucang, and RIB 02 Lampung.
To broaden aerial oversight, emergency teams also dispatched an HR-3604 helicopter alongside two thermal imaging drones from Basarnas. “We will evaluate every field development, and any lead that offers potential clues will be acted upon immediately,” Amrad added.
Banten's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) first received word of the missing expedition on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at around 1:55 p.m. WIB. The alert was raised by a fellow journalist from the Antara news agency.
The party had originally embarked for Mount Anak Krakatau on Monday, September 7, 2026. They departed at 2:00 p.m. WIB from Carita Pier in Pandeglang, Banten, bound for the volcanic island on an estimated two-hour crossing.
Communication cut off at 2:42 p.m. WIB that same afternoon. At the time, the vessel was believed to be navigating the channel between Carita and Mount Anak Krakatau. By 6:13 p.m. WIB, their last known location signal registered near Mount Anak Krakatau.
The eight missing individuals have been identified as boat captain Warta, 55; crew member Surakman, 60; local guide Heriyanto, 49; and five media workers: M. Bagus Khoirunnas of Antara, Ari Basuki of Merdeka, Yudhis of iNews, Daus of Anadolu Agency, and freelance journalist Donal.
