Pandeglang, Banten. A body identified as a crew member of a speedboat carrying five journalists who disappeared while covering the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau has been found off Enggano Island in Bengkulu, roughly 345 kilometers (214 miles) from the speedboat’s last known location near Sebesi Island, providing the first major clue to the fate of the missing group.

The body, discovered on Sept. 12, was identified as Sukarman, a crew member aboard the vessel that has been missing since Sept. 7, after the Bengkulu Police Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team completed DNA testing on Sept. 22. The DNA from the body matched that of Yayat, Sukarman's son, allowing forensic authorities to confirm his identity. 

The identification has given Sukarman's family certainty about his fate, but the whereabouts of the seven other people aboard the vessel and the speedboat itself remain unknown as of Sept. 23.

Banten Search and Rescue Office chief Al Amrad said a joint team had conducted searches in the waters around the incident site and other areas considered potential locations for the missing people and vessel.

"The SAR operation was conducted from Sept. 8 to 18, followed by monitoring. However, as of Sept. 23, there have been no signs of the victims or the Arupadatu 1 speedboat," Al Amrad told reporters on Wednesday.

After the search operation ended, authorities continued monitoring and coordinating with relevant agencies. Any new information or leads will be followed up, he said.

Sukarman's remains will be handled according to established procedures before being handed over to his family.

Five Journalists Among Seven Still Missing

Arupadatu 1 was carrying eight people — five journalists and three vessel crew members.

The journalists were M Bagus Khoirunnas, Ari Basuki, Yudistiro, Firdaus and Donal. The crew members were Warta, the captain; Sukarman, a crew member; and Heriyanto, a guide.

With Sukarman's identification, seven people remain missing — five journalists and two crew members.

The joint search operation lasted 10 days and was terminated on Sept. 17 after authorities failed to find confirmed signs of the missing group or vessel.

The Indonesian Association of Press Photographers (PFI) has called for the search to be reopened following the discovery of Sukarman's body.

PFI chairman Dwi Pambudo said the discovery provided the first confirmed physical evidence since the group went missing and could offer a new direction for the search.

"The discovery of the body of one of the vessel's crew members is the first authentic evidence since the group went missing. It provides a new direction for locating the vessel and the other survivors," Dwi said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

PFI urged the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), along with military and police rescue teams, to conduct intensive searches around the location where Sukarman's body was found.

It also called for searches along the waters between the Sunda Strait and Enggano Island, saying the location where the body was recovered could provide clues about the possible whereabouts of the vessel and the seven remaining missing people.

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