Indonesian Navy finds life jacket during search for missing journalist
Pandeglang (ANTARA) - The Banten Naval Base (Lanal), alongside joint SAR teams, has discovered an unidentified life jacket in the western waters of Anyer during the search operation for a journalist who lost contact in the Sunda Strait, Pandeglang, since Monday (7/9).
The Commander of Lanal Banten, Lieutenant Colonel (P) Wawan Subagyo Mardani, stated in Pandeglang on Thursday that the discovery does not yet confirm whether the item is part of the safety equipment from the speedboat currently being sought. The authorities are conducting intensive sweeps and further investigations regarding several items found in the western waters of Anyer.
“Regarding the findings by the Anyer KAL team, identification will be carried out first. We ask colleagues to wait for clarity, considering the discovery location is quite far from the original incident site,” he said.
In addition to the life jacket, field teams also found an object resembling a cylinder or bottle commonly used by local fishermen. “At the discovery site, there was one unidentified life jacket and one white cylindrical bottle that appears to be commonly used by fishermen. Therefore, we cannot immediately declare that these items are related to the victim,” he added.
He explained that the life jacket was found west of the Anyer area, approximately 7.05 nautical miles offshore, while the distance from the last known position to the discovery site is between 10 to 12 nautical miles. To verify the evidence, Lanal Banten plans to confirm and compare the characteristics of the found items with the boat renter to ensure original ownership.
The Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), Air Marshal Mohammad Syafii, stated that aerial search results for the journalist in the Sunda Strait waters on Thursday have not yet yielded any findings. While aerial surveillance has not directly spotted signs of the victim on the islands around Mount Anak Krakatau, the search will continue intensively for the next seven days in accordance with International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Guidelines.
The operation involves close cross-sectoral coordination with agencies such as the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). The search pattern depends on updated scientific data from these agencies, though teams face challenges such as limited visibility due to haze from volcanic activity.
An evaluation meeting involving PVMBG, BMKG, and medical teams is scheduled for the seventh day to discuss the continuation of the operation.