Five journalists and three crew members remain missing in the waters of the Sunda Strait after their speedboat vanished during a reporting trip to the Anak Krakatau volcano on September 7, 2026. As the search effort enters its third day, the Indonesian National Police (Polri) has widened its operational perimeter, deploying a coordinated multi-agency rescue armada under direct presidential command.
A Routine Assignment Turns to Peril in the Sunda Strait
The journey began on the afternoon of September 7, when an Arupadhatu 1 speedboat departed from the Pagedongan dock in Carita, Pandeglang, Banten. On board were captain Warta, 55, crew member Surakman, 60, and guide Heriyanto, 49, alongside five journalists: M. Bagus Khoirunnas of Antara Biro Banten, Ari Basuki of Merdeka, Yudhis of Inews, Daus of Anadolu, and freelance journalist Donal, according to regional reporting by Kompas.com.
Before departure, Bagus shared a photograph from inside the vessel with his wife, Desi Purnamasari. The estimated travel time to the volcano was roughly two hours. At 14:42 WIB, Bagus successfully contacted Abay, an Antara Biro Lampung reporter stationed on Sebesi Island, to share their coordinates. Just twenty-two minutes later, at 15:04 WIB, communication abruptly ceased.
Lingering Traces at the Hotel Pada Suka
Before the group pushed off into the marine weather, their staging ground was the Hotel Pada Suka in Sukarame village, Carita, Pandeglang. Hotel keeper Maman recounted that four of the journalists arrived together by car on Sunday, September 6, around 22:00 WIB, according to coverage from IDX Channel. The following morning at approximately 09:00 WIB, another person arrived in a separate vehicle to join them.
/data/photo/2026/09/08/6a9fe2e0f04bb.jpg "Photo: regional.kompas.com")
The room they occupied remains frozen in time. Hotel staff note that two bags—one yellow and one black—still sit inside alongside a half-eaten loaf of bread resting on a table. Parked directly outside the room is a blue Mitsubishi Panther bearing the license plate B 1772 WFM, silent testimony to a trip that was never finished.
State-Level Mobilization and Widened Search Grid
With time working against rescue teams, the national government has stepped in. Seskab Teddy confirmed that President Prabowo immediately instructed the Chief of Naval Staff (KSAL) to mobilize a rescue operation upon learning of the disappearance. As a result, 11 joint vessels have converged on the Sunda Strait.
The search radius now spans beyond the immediate vicinity of the crater. According to Tribrata News, police and rescue coordinators have pushed search lines deeper into open waters, utilizing marine units to scour areas reported by local fishermen who earlier crossed paths with the speedboat and warned the crew of deteriorating sea conditions.
The Path Forward and Unanswered Questions
As search-and-rescue teams comb the waters around Rakata Island and Panjang Island, families and newsrooms wait anxiously for a breakthrough.
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