More divers to join search and wreckage recovery
Speaking at Kuala Pembuang Airport on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, Antoni said he had briefed Prabowo by telephone. "President Prabowo expressed his deepest condolences and called for maximizing the evacuation process," he said in a statement received in Jakarta.
Crews are searching for Sergeant (Posthumous) Heri Teguh Prasetyo and working to free the Mi-17V5 helicopter from muddy water. "The helicopter appears to have nose-dived and become embedded in the mud," Antoni said.
A Kamov helicopter had already attempted to lift the wreckage. Antoni expressed confidence that searchers would soon find the missing soldier and recover the aircraft with a tugboat.
"In addition to the six divers deployed yesterday, we are mobilizing five more from Basarnas and seven from TNI AL, along with local divers. In total, around 25 divers will support the evacuation effort," Antoni said, referring to the National Search and Rescue Agency and the Indonesian Navy.
The minister said necessary resources were being sent to the site and local authorities were doing everything they could to support the operation. Central Kalimantan Governor Agustiar Sabran is leading the response in coordination with regional military and police commanders. ANTARA News identified those commanders as Major General Zainul Arifin and provincial police chief Inspector General Iwan Kurniawan.
Crash during water collection
The helicopter went down at about 11:18 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Nov. 4, while collecting seawater for a water-bombing mission near Tanjung Puting National Park, according to The Jakarta Post and ANTARA News. The crash site was in waters off Sungai Perlu village in Danau Sembuluh district, Seruyan regency, Central Kalimantan.
The flight had departed Kuala Pembuang at about 9:55 a.m. for Telaga Pulang. Eight people were aboard the Russian-made Mil Mi-17V5 heavy transport helicopter, tail number HA-5235, which was operated by the Indonesian Army Aviation Center, known as Puspenerbad.
Soldiers honored and survivors transferred for care
The two soldiers whose bodies have been recovered were identified as Lieutenant Colonel (Posthumous) Dudi Firmansyah and Captain (Posthumous) Nurhafiz Akbar. The Jakarta Post reported that all three soldiers killed in the crash received posthumous promotions because they died in the line of duty.
ANTARA News reported that Dudi's body was sent to Bandung, while the body of Nurhafiz Akbar Rizki Hartio was flown to Semarang to be handed over to his family. On Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, Indonesian Army chief of staff Gen. Tandyo Budi Revita led Nurhafiz's burial with full military honors at Giri Tunggal Heroes' Cemetery in Semarang, according to The Jakarta Post.
The five surviving crew members were Captains Febri and Suganda, Second Lieutenant Fercis, Private First Class Gilang and Chief Sergeant Kadiya, ANTARA News reported. They were transferred from Kuala Pembuang to a hospital in Banjarmasin for further treatment and access to more comprehensive medical care.
