Jakarta SAR Office Deploys Ship to Aid Search for Missing Journalist - Tempo.co English
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta SAR Office has deployed the KN SAR 234 Antasena ship to support the search and rescue operation for the missing contact of the speedboat Arupadatu I in the waters of Sunda Strait, Pandeglang Regency, Banten Province since Monday, September 7, 2026. The speedboat, carrying 8 people consisting of five journalists and three crew members, was reported missing.
The KN SAR 234 was deployed with 18 personnel, including crew members and rescue personnel.
The Head of the SAR Office, Desiana Kartika Bahari, stated that the KN SAR 234 Antasena departed from the Basarnas Pantai Mutiara Dock, Jakarta, on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. WIB (Western Indonesia Time). The ship arrived at the Indah Kiat Dock, Cilegon, at 7:36 PM WIB. It will support SAR operations according to the field's needs and developments.
"The addition of these elements is expected to support the search efforts to proceed more optimally in accordance with the developments in the field," Desiana said in her written statement on Friday, September 11, 2026.
Desiana said all deployed personnel will prioritize safety when carrying out their duties and will also follow developments in the field during the operation.
Previously, the Indonesian Navy Base Banten found a safety vest in the waters west of Anyer during the third day of the search operation for the group. The vest was unmarked and orange.
The Commander of the Banten Navy Base, Lieutenant Colonel Wawan Subagyo Mardani, said the vest was found while the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) were combing the waters west of Anyer aboard the Navy vessel Anyer. According to Wawan, the finding cannot yet be confirmed as belonging to one of the eight journalists.
"The identification of the finding by the Anyer KAL team will still be conducted first. So, for clarity, please wait, considering the distance of the finding location from the incident site," said Wawan in Pandeglang, Thursday, September 10, 2026, as quoted from Antara.
Meanwhile, the police are expanding the search for five journalists and three crew members. The search is being expanded to the waters around Lampung.
The Head of the Public Relations Division of the Lampung Regional Police, Commissioner Yuni Iswandari, said they are continuing to find the victims. "The search area will be expanded," said Yuni in a written statement on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
Yuni explained that the victims were first known to have lost contact while in the waters of Sunda Strait, Banten. However, authorities anticipate that the victims may be carried by currents into the waters off the coast of Lampung.
The eight people still being searched for include Warta, 55 years old, as the captain of the ship; Surakman, 60 years old, as a crew member; Heriyanto, 49 years old, as a guide; as well as five journalists, namely M. Bagus Khoirunnas from Antara, Ari Basuki from Merdeka, Yudhis from iNews, Daus from Anadolu, and Donal, who is a freelance journalist.
