Search for Five Missing Journalists in Sunda Strait Expanded to Indian Ocean
The joint search and rescue (SAR) team has expanded the scope of its operation to find five journalists and three citizens who lost contact in the waters of the Sundered Strait. Entering the seventh day, the search area has now reached the Indian Ocean, taking into account the shift in sea currents.
The Head of the Banten SAR Office, Al Amrad, explained that the determination of this new search area was based on technical observations of current movements in the field. Natural conditions remain the primary factor in mapping the next search coordinates.
“On the sixth and seventh days, we have actually entered the Indian Ocean, based on observations of the shifting currents. These conditions are the team’s consideration in determining the next search area,” Al Amrad stated in Pandeglang, Banten, on Monday (14/9).
Amrad explained that the search operation continues to rely on a combination of vessel fleets and aerial monitoring. However, the effectiveness of both methods is highly dependent on the dynamic weather conditions in those waters.
According to him, weather challenges have emerged since the start of the operation. On the first and second days, the unstable activity of Mount Anak Krakatau served as the main obstacle. From the third to the sixth day, the SAR team had to contend with thick fog that limited visibility.
“On the fifth day, helicopters could still conduct searches, but with a visibility of approximately 1.5 kilometres at an altitude of 500 feet. However, on the sixth day, the prepared helicopters could not be flown due to foggy conditions,” he explained.
Regarding diving methods, Amrad stated that they have not yet been able to deploy personnel underwater. This is because the exact coordinates of the victims or the speedboat they were using have not yet been detected.
The incident began when the eight individuals departed via speedboat from the Pegedongan Pier, Carita, Pandeglang Regency, on Monday (7/9) at approximately 14:00 WIB. Their destination was the Mount Anak Krakatau area.
The three other individuals on the boat were Warta (captain), Surakman (crew member), and Heriyanto (guide).
To date, the joint SAR team continues to evaluate every finding in the field that could potentially provide clues regarding the whereabouts of the victims and the Arupadhatu 1 speedboat they were travelling on.
The joint SAR team has extended the search for the five journalists and three citizens missing in the Sunda Strait for the next three days after the seventh-day evaluation yielded no results.