Search for Five Journalists Lost Contact While Covering Anak Krakatau Remains Unresolved; Helicopter Deployed

Efforts to locate five journalists who lost contact while travelling to the Anak Krakatau volcano area to document eruption activity are being intensified.

Aerial support has now been deployed to assist Search and Rescue (SAR) operations around Mount Anak Krakatau, Banten. A Dauphin AS365 N3+ helicopter, with registration number HR-3604, has been involved in the operation.

The deployment of the helicopter serves as additional search capability to monitor areas that are difficult to reach via sea routes. The helicopter, HR-3604, departed from Atang Sendjaja Air Force Base (ATS) at 12:36 WIB and was scheduled to arrive at JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta, at 12:52 WIB.

The prepared flight route for the operation includes JIExpo Kemayoran–Carita Beach–Banten BPBD–Helipad/JIExpo Kemayoran. The helicopter carries a crew of seven, including Letkol Pnb Endrik Setyo Utomo, Kapten Pnb Dimas Aribowo, Serka Deatry Mulianto, Sertu Moch Farhan, Serda Eki P. Ginting, Pratu Ronni Bagus H, and Prada Brillian Muammar.

This aerial support is focused on assisting the monitoring of the SAR operational area, specifically around the Sunda Strait waters and the Anak Krakatau volcanic region. The deployment of HR-3604 is part of the effort to strengthen the search previously conducted by the Search and Rescue Office alongside joint SAR elements.

Various resources and methods continue to be optimised to find the individuals who remain missing. SAR operations are being carried out continuously, adjusting to the conditions of the search area and the situation on the ground.

With the addition of aerial support, the SAR team is expected to expand monitoring of the area focused on the search for the group that went missing after their speedboat lost contact in the Sunda Strait waters.

The group previously departed via speedboat from Pagedongan Pier, Carita, Pandeglang, on Monday, 7 September 2026, at approximately 14:00 WIB. They were heading towards the Anak Krakatau area to document eruption activity.

One journalist managed to send their last known location at approximately 14:42 WIB. However, communication with the group was severed at around 15:04 WIB. Since then, the whereabouts of the speedboat and all its passengers remain unknown. The SAR team is using the last communication point and the last known location as the primary basis for the search.