Boat Owner Says Speedboat Carrying Journalists to Mount Anak Krakatau Was Seaworthy

The owner of a speedboat carrying journalists to cover an eruption at Mount Anak Krakatau said the vessel was fit to sail and carried the required documents and life jackets. The boat has since lost contact and is being sought by rescue teams.

Sandi Wiasa said the vessel departed from Pegedongan Pier in Carita, Banten, at about 2 p.m. on Monday, September 7. He said conditions at sea appeared normal and that the boat carried eight people, within its stated capacity.

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The boat used was my boat. It departed yesterday at around 2 p.m. from Pegedongan Pier.

Sandi said he first learned the boat could not be contacted from the Carita police chief at about 1 p.m. the following day, rather than directly from the boat’s captain. The vessel had a portable GPS device, but he said he did not know whether it could be used to track the boat.

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The boat was still seaworthy. It was fit to sail.

He contacted relatives around Sebesi Island in Lampung and coordinated with Indonesia’s search and rescue agency. The journey from Carita to the Krakatau area normally takes about two hours. A guide in the group reportedly sent his wife a photograph of Mount Anak Krakatau about four hours after departure. Sandi said the volcano appeared clearly in the image and that the boat was more than three kilometers from the crater.

Banten’s SAR office said the group sent its latest location to journalist colleagues in Lampung at 2:42 p.m. The vessel lost contact at 3:04 p.m. at the suspected coordinates 6°14'40.52"S, 105°40'49.48"E. By 6:15 p.m., search teams had reached Krakatau and Panjang islands without success, and the operation was scheduled to continue.

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For the required equipment, we have the permits and the boat documents, and there are life jackets.