Speedboat Engine Failure in Nusa Penida: Captain and Crew Found on East Java Coast
Three individuals, or persons on board (POB), from the Baliman speedboat who were previously reported missing have finally been found at Puger Beach, East Java. It is reported that the speedboat they were travelling in had previously experienced engine failure in the waters of Manta Point, Nusa Penida, Bali.
The Head of the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office, I Nyoman Sidakarya, explained that the three individuals consist of the speedboat captain, I Nyoman Budiana, and two crew members, Keristino Sahreza Avendi Da and Niko Demios Landena. All three were found in good condition.
“The Denpasar Search and Rescue Office received information from the victims’ colleagues that the speedboat and the three victims had been successfully evacuated by local fishermen to Puger Beach, East Java,” Sidakeway stated in a written statement received on Thursday (17/09/2026).
Sidakarya revealed that the three had previously been reported missing after their speedboat lost power on Saturday (12/09). A joint team immediately launched a search, with the SAR operation extending into its fifth day.
The joint SAR team deployed RIB 02 Denpasar, departing from Benoa Harbour towards the search area on Wednesday (16/09). The search area for the fifth day was plotted based on calculations of wind direction, speed, and sea currents to estimate the potential movement of the victims.
As of Wednesday afternoon, efforts to locate the three victims had not yet yielded results. According to Sidakarya, weather and sea conditions on the fifth day of the SAR operation were quite difficult for the search execution, with sea waves ranging between 2 to 4 metres.
The SAR operation continued into the night. At approximately 21:06 WITA, the joint SAR team finally received information that the three victims had been evacuated by fishermen at Puger Beach, East Java.
Upon receiving this information, the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office immediately coordinated with the Head of the Banyuwangi Search and Rescue Office. At approximately 21:15 WITA, four personnel from the Banyuwangi Search and Rescue Office moved directly to Puger Beach to check and confirm the condition of the three victims.
“The rescue team from the Banyuwangi Search and Rescue Office successfully met the three victims, and following an examination, confirmed that I Nyoman Budiana, Keristino Sahreza Avendi Da, and Niko Demios Landena are safe and healthy,” added Sidakarya.
Meanwhile, the speedboat carrying the three was found near the Bleduk FAD (Fish Aggregating Device), approximately 42 nautical miles from the coast. According to Sidakarya, the three victims will be picked up directly by their families today.