Boat Owner Says Speedboat Carrying Missing Journalists Was Seaworthy
Search Continues After Journalists Lose Contact Near Anak Krakatau
Kabarsaji.com – Search teams are preparing to widen operations on Wednesday, Sept. 9, after a speedboat carrying journalists on an assignment near Mount Anak Krakatau could no longer be reached during a trip from Carita, Banten.
The boat left Pegedongan Pier in Carita at 14:00 WIB on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, with a group heading to cover activity at the volcanic island. Rescue personnel continued searching until 18:15 WIB on Tuesday, reaching Krakatau Island and Panjang Island without finding the missing passengers.
At least seven people were the focus of the search as preliminary information was compiled by the National Search and Rescue Agency, Basarnas. Those named include ANTARA News Agency photojournalist M. Bagus Khoirunnas, Ari Basuki of Merdeka, Yudhis of iNews, Daus of Anadolu, freelance journalist Donal, and two people whose identities were still being confirmed.
Boat owner says vessel met safety requirements
Sandi Wiasa, who owns the speedboat, said the vessel was suitable for the voyage, carried the required paperwork, and had life jackets available when it departed. He said eight people were aboard, a number he described as within the boat’s normal passenger capacity.
“The boat used was mine; it departed yesterday—sometime after 2:00 PM WIB—from Pegedongan Pier,” Sandi said in a video statement monitored in Jakarta on Tuesday evening.
He said sea conditions were normal when the group set off from Carita. The usual journey from Carita to the Krakatau area takes roughly two hours, he said.
“It was seaworthy. The boat was fit for the journey,” he said.
Sandi also said the boat had registration documents and life jackets on board.
“Regarding equipment and permits, we have them; we have the boat's registration papers, and we have life jackets,” Sandi said.
The owner said he was informed at about 1:00 PM that the boat could not be contacted. The information came through the Carita Sector Police Chief rather than directly from the captain.
A portable GPS device was also carried on the vessel. Sandi said he did not know whether that equipment could be used to establish the boat’s location after communications were lost.
Last contact placed boat near Krakatau waters
Communication records showed that one of the people aboard shared a location with another journalist in Lampung at 14:42 WIB on Monday. Contact ended at 15:04 WIB near the estimated point of 6°14'40.52"S, 105°40'49.48"E.
The timeline has become a key part of the search effort because it helps rescuers trace the route between Carita and Anak Krakatau. Authorities plan to expand the operational area after examining the route covered during Tuesday’s search.
“Regarding the plan for tomorrow, we will expand the search area, as today we studied the route from Carita to Anak Krakatau,” Banten SAR Office Head Al Amrad said.
The Banten SAR Office has deployed the KN SAR Tatuka and a Banten Rigid Inflatable Boat, or RIB. The vessels carry water-rescue, medical, and communications equipment. The operation is being conducted with the Water and Air Police Unit of the Banten Regional Police, known as Polairud.
For readers following the operation, the search area covers waters around the Krakatau island group in the Sunda Strait. Conditions at sea, travel routes, available communications, and the time elapsed since last contact can all shape how rescue teams organize their work. The planned expansion reflects the effort to examine a broader area after no sign of the group was located during the initial deployment.
Family contacts and local assistance
After hearing that the boat could not be reached, Sandi said he contacted relatives near Sebesi Island in Lampung and coordinated with Basarnas. People in the area were helping alongside local fishermen, he said.
“Yes, I have contacted some of our relatives in the Sebesi, Lampung area. Thankfully, they are currently trying to assist in the search efforts alongside local fishermen,” Sandi said.
Sandi also said a guide traveling with the group had sent an image of Mount Anak Krakatau to his wife. The photograph was sent around four hours after the boat left Carita and showed the volcano’s condition, he said.
He stated that the boat was more than three kilometers from the Anak Krakatau crater when the image was taken. That detail indicates the group was not immediately adjacent to the crater at that point in the trip, though the boat’s later movements remain central to the ongoing search.
Mount Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, is a frequent destination for monitoring and reporting trips because of its volcanic activity. Journalists traveling to the area often depend on boats departing from coastal locations in Banten, including Carita, to reach waters near the island.
The missing group had traveled there to cover the volcano’s activity. As search operations resume, rescuers will use the available route information, last known communication point, and local assistance from people around the surrounding islands to guide efforts to locate the passengers and the speedboat.
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