Fact Check: Were Five Missing Journalists Stranded in Seribu Islands?
Fact Check: Were Five Missing Journalists Stranded in Seribu Islands?
Reporter
September 26, 2026 | 02:35 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Information about the discovery of five stranded journalists in the Seribu Islands, Jakarta, circulated on Facebook [archive] and TikTok (accounts one and two) since September 19, 2026. This narrative spread after five journalists lost contact while covering Mount Anak Krakatau on Monday, September 7, 2026.
The social media posts included a photo showing five journalists holding a poster that read, “We Are Stranded on Seribu Islands (Kami Terdampar di Pulau Seribu).” Is the photo of the five journalists holding the poster authentic?
FACT CHECK
Tempo verified the content using reverse image search, visual analysis, AI detection tools, and credible sources. The result showed that the photo was an AI-manipulated version of the original image.
Five Journalists and Two Crew Members Still Missing
The identities of the five journalists who lost contact are M. Bagus Khoirunnas from Antara News Agency; Ari Basuki, a journalist from Merdeka.com; Yudhis, a journalist from Inews; Daus, a journalist from Anadolu Agency; and Donal, a freelance journalist. The group was also accompanied by three crew members, namely Warta (ship captain), Surakman (crew member), and Heriyanto (guide).
They departed on speedboat Arupadhatu 1 from Pagedongan Harbor, Carita, on Monday, September 7, 2026, around 02:00 p.m. local time, heading towards Mount Anak Krakatau. The last communication was recorded on the same day at 02:42 p.m. when a member of the group shared the location. At 03:04 p.m., all contact with the journalist group was completely lost.
A joint SAR team conducted a search operation, but as of Thursday, September 24, 2026, the five journalists and two crew members have not been found. One crew member’s body, Surakman, was found on Enggano Island, Bengkulu, on September 12, 2026, the fifth day of the search.
The official search operation was ceased on the 10th day, Friday, September 18, 2026. This decision was made as the SAR team did not find significant clues regarding the whereabouts of the speedboat.
Photo Verification
The original photo of the five journalists did not show any posters. The photo published by CNBC was taken before they departed from Pagedongan Harbor, Carita, towards the Sunda Strait on Monday, September 7, 2026.
In the version where they were holding the poster, Tempo found aberrations in the fingers of two journalists in the front row, which appeared to be cut off or incomplete. This anomaly indicates visual manipulation using artificial intelligence.
An analysis using AI or NOT showed that 65 percent of the photo contained AI elements. The Google Nano Banana model was detected in the photo manipulation.
Likewise, Truth Scan classified the image as containing around 70 percent AI elements.
CONCLUSION
Tempo’s verification concluded that the narration and photo claiming that five journalists and three crew members missing in the Sunda Strait were found stranded in the Seribu Islands are false.
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