September 9, 2026 | 02:23 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A joint search and rescue operation for eight people who lost contact in the Sunda Strait off Pandeglang, Banten, resumed on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The search team headed to the waters around the Sunda Strait at 7 a.m. local time.
The missing group consists of five journalists, two boat crew members, and a guide. They were traveling to cover conditions around Anak Krakatau, which erupted over the weekend.
Search Operation Expands to Four Units
Al Amrad, head of the Banten Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas), said the joint SAR team had divided the second day of the operation into four Search and Rescue Units (SRUs) to expand the search area.
"Besides expanding the search area, we have also increased the number of personnel. The Lampung SAR team has joined the operation," Al Amrad told Tempo on Wednesday morning.
The four SRUs are conducting searches across designated areas of the Sunda Strait:
SRU 1: The KN SAR Tetuka 247 vessel will conduct a planned sweep of 68.3 nautical miles, with 3 nautical miles between search tracks.
SRU 2: The KAL Anyer vessel will cover 69.5 nautical miles, also with 3 nautical miles between search tracks. The two units are searching designated areas based on the SAR operation plan.
SRU 3: The Lampung RIB 01 rigid inflatable boat will conduct a planned sweep of 67 nautical miles, with 1 nautical mile between search tracks.
SRU 4: The Banten RIB 02 will search waters along Rakata Island and Panjang Island, which were identified as priority areas following an evaluation of the previous search.
The operation involves personnel from the Banten Search and Rescue Office, the Pandeglang SAR unit (USS Pandeglang), the Lampung Search and Rescue Office, as well as military and police personnel, local authorities, Balawista lifeguards, fishermen, residents and other relevant agencies.
Several vessels and equipment have also been deployed, including KN SAR Tetuka 247, KAL Anyer, KP Sanjaya, Banten RIB 02, Lampung RIB 02 and RIB 03, rescue vehicles, a personnel truck, a thermal drone, and various water-rescue, medical, communications and other support equipment.
Eight People Remain Missing
The eight people still being sought are:
Warta, 55, the boat captain
Surakman, 60, a crew member
Heriyanto, 49, the guide
M. Bagus Khoirunnas, a journalist with Antara News Agency
Arie Basuki, a journalist with Merdeka.com
Yudhistiro, a journalist with iNews
Daus, a journalist with Anadolu
Donal, a freelance journalist
Weather conditions in the search area were reported to be partly cloudy, with winds blowing from south to north at around 14 knots. Waves were between 0.4 and 1 meter high.
"The search will be evaluated regularly, taking into account weather conditions, currents and developments in the field," Al Amrad said while monitoring the operation from the Anak Krakatau observation post.
The Banten Search and Rescue Office urged residents, fishermen and marine transportation users to report any information or sightings that could help locate the missing speedboat or the eight people.
Anak Krakatau Remains Volcanically Active
Separately, M. Nugraha Kartadinata, head of the Anak Krakatau Volcano Observation Post in Pasauran, said the volcano was still experiencing Strombolian-type eruptions.
The eruptions could eject volcanic ash and rocks to distances of more than two kilometers.
"We therefore recommend that no public activity take place within a three-kilometer radius," Nugraha said, urging tourists and the public to stay away from the danger zone.
Meanwhile, Merdeka.com said it was maintaining close coordination with Basarnas in the search for its journalist, who lost contact while carrying out a reporting assignment.
The news outlet expressed appreciation for the efforts of all agencies involved in the SAR operation and called for the search to be conducted as thoroughly and in as coordinated a manner as possible.
"The safety of journalists is Merdeka.com's top priority. Therefore, we continue to communicate with Basarnas and relevant parties to obtain the latest updates on the search," Merdeka.com said in a statement on Wednesday, September 9.
Merdeka.com also urged all parties not to spread unverified information or speculation about the journalists' condition or the progress of the search.
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