Latest Updates on Missing Journalists near Anak Krakatau

Search Widens for Eight People Missing Near Anak Krakatau

Tempatdonasi.com – Authorities have broadened the maritime search for five journalists and three boat crew members who disappeared while traveling to cover activity at Mount Anak Krakatau. The operation, initially concentrated in the Sunda Strait near Banten, is now extending toward waters off Lampung as teams assess the possible effects of strong sea currents.

The group left Carita Pier in Pandeglang, Banten, on Monday, September 7, 2026, bound for Anak Krakatau. Their journey began at 14:00 WIB and was expected to take roughly two hours. Contact with the vessel was lost at 14:42 WIB while it was believed to be between Carita and the volcano. Its final signal was registered near Anak Krakatau at 18:13 WIB.

Reports about the missing team reached the Banten branch of the National Search and Rescue Agency, Basarnas, at 13:55 WIB on Tuesday, September 8. A colleague of one of the journalists filed the report, prompting a multi-agency effort involving police, rescue personnel, and naval units.

Search Area Moves Toward Lampung Waters

Lampung Regional Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Yuni Iswandari said teams are continuing their effort while widening the area under review. Although the group was last known to be missing in the Sunda Strait near Banten, search planners are considering whether currents could have carried people or debris toward Lampung.

The search area will be expanded.

Joint teams began searching shortly after the alarm was raised and have continued patrols at sea. No confirmed indication of the group’s location had been found by Thursday, September 10.

As of now, there is still no clue about their whereabouts.

Authorities intend to carry out additional sweeps using search vessels. Helicopters may also be used for aerial observation if conditions around the volcano and surrounding waters allow safe flights. Weather is a key consideration in a search area where visibility, wind, waves, and volcanic conditions can all affect operations.

Police have also asked the public to share credible information that could help locate the missing people. This could include sightings at sea, information from fishing boats, or reports of objects connected to the vessel’s route. Any such details may help teams narrow the increasingly broad search zone.

There may be information or updates if they are found at sea.

Life Vest Recovered During Third Day of Operations

On the third day of the operation, search personnel recovered an orange life vest whose owner had not yet been identified. The discovery is being examined as part of the wider investigation and search effort.

An identification process will be conducted first.

The life vest alone does not establish who used it or where it originated, but it provides an item for teams to assess while continuing their patrols. Searchers must determine whether it has any connection to the missing vessel and, if so, whether its location offers useful clues about movement through the strait.

The search remained active as of Tuesday evening, September 8, when Banten Basarnas chief Al Amrad said there was still no sign of the group.

Still no trace; the search operation remains ongoing.

The Eight People on Board

The missing group includes boat captain Warta, 55, crew member Surakman, 60, and guide Heriyanto, 49. The five journalists are M. Bagus Khoirunnas of Antara, Ari Basuki of Merdeka, Yudhis of iNews, Daus of Anadolu, and freelance journalist Donal.

They had traveled toward Anak Krakatau to cover the volcano’s eruption. The journey placed the team in the Sunda Strait, the body of water separating Java and Sumatra. The strait is an important maritime passage, but conditions there can change quickly, particularly in waters around an active volcanic island.

Anak Krakatau, meaning “Child of Krakatau,” emerged from the area once associated with the historic Krakatau volcanic complex. Its activity draws scientific attention and media coverage, but reporting from nearby waters can require careful planning because access, visibility, marine conditions, and safety restrictions may shift rapidly.

For the families, colleagues, and news organizations connected to the missing team, the ongoing search remains the central concern. Expanding operations toward Lampung reflects the challenge of tracking a boat or survivors after contact is lost in open water. Search teams are working from the vessel’s final known route, signal information, recovered material, and assessments of local sea conditions.

Officials have not announced a conclusion about what happened to the boat or the eight people aboard. The focus remains on finding them, identifying the recovered life vest, and gathering reliable information from every part of the search area. Further updates will depend on the results of vessel patrols, possible helicopter flights, and any verified reports from the public or crews operating in the Sunda Strait and nearby Lampung waters.