End of Search for Missing Journalists in Sunda Strait: What to Know

Search for Eight Missing People in Sunda Strait Ends After 10 Days

Tempatdonasi.com – Authorities have concluded the formal search for eight people, including five journalists, who disappeared while traveling through the Sunda Strait to report on Mount Anak Krakatau’s eruption. The operation, centered in waters off Pandeglang, Banten, ended after 10 days without a confirmed trace of the Arupadhatu 1 speedboat or anyone on board.

The group left Pagedongan Pier in Carita, Pandeglang, at about 2 p.m. local time on Monday, September 7. Their destination was the area around Mount Anak Krakatau, where they intended to cover volcanic activity. Contact with the boat was lost shortly after departure, prompting a joint search and rescue effort involving multiple authorities.

Why the Formal Operation Was Ended

Search and rescue operations are generally conducted within an initial operational period, with extensions considered when there are credible leads or a reasonable chance of locating those missing. In this case, officials added three days to the original search period. Even with that additional time, no verified evidence established the boat’s location or the fate of its passengers.

Banten Governor Andra Soni said the team had conducted searches throughout the initial period and the extension, but the effort did not produce findings connected to the missing vessel.

“From the first day of this joint search and rescue operation through the 10th day, after the three-day extension, no signs of the vessel or the passengers or crew aboard were found,” Andra said in a video received on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

The decision ends the organized emergency deployment, but it does not close the possibility of future action. Officials stressed that the search can be restarted if reliable information emerges.

Objects Found During the Search

During the 10-day operation, rescue personnel recovered 13 items or fragments from the search area. These included life jackets, a tarp, a helmet and a water container. Such objects can be important in a maritime emergency because they may help investigators identify a vessel’s route or determine whether debris is connected to those missing.

However, the items recovered in this case were inspected by the Banten Police Water and Air Police Directorate and were determined not to be linked to the Arupadhatu 1 or the eight-person group. Without debris, equipment, communications evidence or other confirmed material tied to the boat, authorities said they had no fresh lead to guide further searching.

The Sunda Strait is a major body of water between Java and Sumatra, and the conditions around Anak Krakatau can create additional operational challenges for vessels traveling near the volcanic island. The missing group had gone to the area specifically to document the eruption, placing their journey within a zone of heightened natural activity.

Monitoring Will Continue

While the coordinated SAR mission has stopped, authorities will continue to watch for possible developments in the Sunda Strait. Fishermen, coastal residents and vessels in the area may provide information if they see material, wreckage or other signs that could be related to the missing speedboat.

Al Amrad, head of the Banten Search and Rescue Agency, said any new information from local communities would receive follow-up. Authorities also plan to keep distributing information through the vessel traffic service, known as VTS, while water police patrols continue in the strait.

“If there is further information or any signs, the SAR operation will be reopened,” Al Amrad said.

For families and colleagues of those aboard, the distinction is significant: the formal search phase has been completed, but the case remains open to new evidence. A credible report or confirmed discovery could lead authorities to mobilize personnel again.

Who Was on the Arupadhatu 1

The missing group included five journalists, two members of the boat’s crew and a guide. The journalists were M. Bagus Khoirunnas of Antara, Ari Basuki of Merdeka.com, Yudhis of iNews, Daus of Anadolu, and freelance journalist Donal.

Warta, 55, was the captain of the speedboat. Surakman, 60, was the other crew member. Heriyanto, 49, served as the group’s guide.

Their disappearance has drawn attention to the risks faced by journalists and support crews working near disaster zones. Reporting from areas affected by volcanic activity often requires travel through changing maritime conditions and coordination with local guides and boat operators. In this instance, the search’s conclusion reflects a lack of confirmed evidence rather than a resolution of what happened after the group departed.

Last Known Communication

Police said the group’s final known contact occurred at approximately 2:42 p.m. on September 7, when one person aboard transmitted the boat’s latest location to a colleague. By around 3:04 p.m., communication with the journalists could no longer be established.

“By around 3:04 p.m., communication with the group of journalists could no longer be established,” Banten Police Public Relations Head Senior Commissioner Maruli Ahiles Hutapea said on Tuesday evening, September 8.

With no confirmed vessel remains or passenger-related evidence found during the search, authorities are now relying on continued monitoring and reports from people operating in or living near the Sunda Strait. Any verified sign connected to the Arupadhatu 1 could become the basis for reopening the rescue operation.