Joint SAR Team Rescues Two Fishermen Missing in Jambi Waters

Two fishermen who were reported missing while at sea have been found alive by a Joint SAR Team. Both were successfully evacuated in the Ambang Luar area off the east coast of Jambi, Tanjung Jabung Barat Regency. The Head of the Jambi Basarnas Office, Adah Sudarsa, confirmed the success of the rescue operation on Saturday evening (18/7/2026). The two surviving fishermen were identified as Irwan, 26, and Ilham, 26, residents of Kampung Nelayan, Kuala Tungkal, Tanjung Jabung Barat Regency. Based on the chronology of the incident, the two victims went to sea in the early hours of Friday (17/7/2026) at around 03.00 WIB. Concern arose when they had not returned home by Saturday morning (18/7/2026). The parent of one of the victims, M. Halid, subsequently reported the disappearance of the two fishermen to the Kuala Tungkal SAR Alert Unit. Following up on the report, the Kuala Tungkal SAR Alert Unit immediately deployed eight personnel to the incident location in the Ambang Luar waters using a marine fleet. Upon arriving at the location at 11.50, the team immediately coordinated with various elements in the field to begin the search process. To optimise the search, in the afternoon the Search and Rescue Unit (SRU) team was divided into two groups. After conducting intensive searches up to a radius of 12 Nautical Miles (NM), the joint team’s efforts paid off. At 17.30, SRU 1 successfully detected the presence of the fishermen’s boat. Both victims were found adrift at sea but in a safe condition. The two fishermen were immediately evacuated using RIB 02 to the nearest dock. Upon arrival on land, they were immediately handed over to their waiting families.