Jembrana fisherman found dead off Banyuwangi after Pulukan boat accident

Jembrana — — I Gusti Putu Sugiarta, a 38-year-old fisherman from Cupel village in Jembrana, was found dead in waters off Banyuwangi, East Java, on Sunday, 13 September 2026, four days after his boat broke apart off Pulukan in western Bali, according to local media and search-and-rescue officials.

Regional outlets report that local fishermen discovered the body near the Banyuwangi estuary area and initially evacuated it to shore using traditional wooden boats known locally as jukung.

Search officials said the body was first found without any identification documents and was buried by local residents near the shore in Banyuwangi before authorities linked it to the missing fisherman from Jembrana.

Following information received by the family and the joint search team, relatives travelled to Banyuwangi and confirmed the body’s identity as Sugiarta, according to statements cited by regional news outlets.

After the confirmation, the remains were transported across the Bali Strait by boat to Pengambengan Beach in Jembrana on Sunday afternoon, arriving at around 17:00 WITA, according to reports from Jembrana and Banyuwangi.

A joint search-and-rescue team and Jembrana Police personnel then coordinated the onward evacuation of the body to Negara General Hospital for further examination, regional broadcasters reported.

How the accident happened

According to accounts from the search agency and local media, Sugiarta went to sea with two other fishermen aboard a white fiberglass sampan named Rahayu in the Pulukan area, Jembrana, on Thursday, 10 September 2026.

Officials from the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office said the vessel struck a large piece of floating wood in waters off Takat Deken, Pulukan, causing the sampan to break apart and sink.

All three fishermen tried to stay afloat by holding onto pieces of the damaged boat, and two of them were rescued by another passing fishing vessel after approximately 30 minutes in the water, according to search coordinators quoted by local outlets.

Sugiarta was no longer visible when rescuers reached the area, and he was reported missing, prompting a joint search-and-rescue operation across waters from Gilimanuk to Pengambengan and Pulukan over the following days.

Timeline and locations

• Accident: Wednesday, 9 September or Thursday, 10 September 2026; officials and media reports place the collision with floating wood in Pulukan waters on 9–10 September.
• Missing report: Search teams and local media reported Sugiarta missing from Pulukan on 10 September 2026.
• Recovery: Sunday, 13 September 2026, on the fourth day of the search, in coastal waters near the Banyuwangi estuary area in East Java.
• Transfer point: Pengambengan Beach, Jembrana, where the body arrived at about 17:00 WITA after transport across the Bali Strait.
• Destination: Negara General Hospital, Jembrana, for further handling and examination.

Search officials from the Jembrana post and the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office said the incident highlights the dangers of floating debris and rough conditions for small fishing vessels operating along Bali’s western coast, particularly in the Pulukan and Bali Strait areas.

As of mid-September, regional outlets report that authorities had not publicly announced a formal investigation outcome into the exact cause of death, although the sequence of events from the boat accident to the recovery of Sugiarta’s body has been detailed in statements by the search agency and family members.

Local reports also note that Sugiarta’s family raised questions about aspects of the discovery and initial burial in Banyuwangi, and have sought clarification from officials there, adding to public attention on safety and procedures for handling unidentified bodies found along the coast of the Bali Strait.

Sources

• Detik Bali
• RRI Denpasar
• Liputan6 Regional
• IDN Times Bali
• Bali Post
• JPNN Bali
• Tribun Bali Jembrana