Father’s Premonition Before Karanganyar Teenager Ahda Disappeared After KM Virgo Capsized: Said This Might Be Our Last Meeting

KARANGANYAR, KOMPAS.com - Nurul Bahri (45) had a premonition that his farewell with his son, Ahda Dhiyaurrohman (19), might be their last meeting.

The feeling came as Ahda prepared to leave Karanganyar to migrate to Kalimantan.

At that time, Nurul attempted to persuade his son to abandon his plans to work on a palm oil plantation.

However, Ahda was resolute in his decision to leave.

Ahda then became one of the passengers of KM Virgo Transport 8, which had an accident in the Java Sea waters early Sunday morning (September 13, 2026).

Now, Nurul and his wife, Istiqomah Wiwin Fatmawati (44), are still waiting for news of Ahda and praying their son will be found safe.

Father Felt It Could Be Their Last Meeting

Nurul admitted that he tried several times to prevent Ahda from migrating to Kalimantan.

Ahda’s desire to work on a palm oil plantation was expressed about two weeks before he left.

Nurul explained to his son how tough the work would be, hoping Ahda would reconsider his plan.

Nonetheless, Ahda was determined to go.

Just before departure, Nurul made another attempt to persuade Ahda while taking Ahda’s younger sibling to kindergarten. On that occasion, he even mentioned the possibility that their meeting might be the last.

“When I was taking his sibling to kindergarten, before leaving, I tried again to dissuade Ahda, but he was insistent on leaving. I apologized and told him it might be our last meeting, explaining that the warning was a sign of parental love. I said, ‘Alhamdulillah, I have entrusted you to Allah,’ and after that, I didn’t say much more and continued to take his sibling to school and then went to work,” Nurul said, quoted from Tribun Solo on Friday (September 18, 2026).

Those words remain a poignant moment for Nurul as his family awaits news of Ahda.

Ahda Firmly Determined to Leave

Nurul previously described Ahda as obedient to his parents.

Ahda once asked for permission to work in Bali, but Nurul refused, and Ahda accepted that decision, so he did not migrate to Bali.

This time, Ahda’s wish to work in Kalimantan was different. Despite multiple attempts to discourage him, he stood firm on his decision.

Even when Ahda informed Nurul that he would be heading to Surabaya to board a ship, Nurul tried once more to stop him.

Nurul asked Ahda to disembark at Palur. He also suggested Ahda consider enlisting in the military, but his son declined and chose to work in Kalimantan instead.

“At that time, I tried again to hold him back, asking him to get off at Palur, but he was adamant on leaving and said soldiers have to be strong. I asked why he didn’t want to enlist as a soldier, but he refused and chose to focus on working in Kalimantan,” he added.

Farewell Video Became Their Last Communication

After leaving, Ahda still communicated with Nurul via WhatsApp.

On Saturday morning, Ahda sent a video to his father before boarding the ship.

In the video, Ahda gave a farewell greeting before departing from Java Island to work in Kalimantan. Nurul replied with a prayer.

After that, there was no further communication between them.

“Saturday morning was the last time he sent me a video before boarding the ship. I replied with a prayer, and after that, there was no communication. On Sunday at dawn, I tried to contact him, but the number showed only one tick,” he said.

Now, Ahda’s family still hopes the 19-year-old will be found safe after KM Virgo Transport 8’s accident in the Java Sea.

Ahda’s Desire to Work on a Palm Oil Plantation

Ahda’s intention to migrate to Kalimantan had actually been shared with Nurul about two weeks before departure.

Ahda said he wanted to work at a palm oil plantation. Upon hearing this, Nurul explained to his son how demanding the work there would be.

Nurul hoped his explanation would make Ahda reconsider his wish to migrate, but Ahda’s determination remained strong.

“On that Saturday, two weeks ago, he told me he wanted to work on a palm oil plantation. I immediately explained how tough the work was there, hoping he would think twice and not leave. I had rejected several of his previous work requests, but his determination was strong,” Nurul said.

Previously, Ahda had also asked Nurul’s permission to work in Bali. At that time, Nurul refused, and Ahda abided by his father’s decision.

This time, Ahda stood firm on his choice to migrate to Kalimantan. This decision eventually led to him being one of the passengers aboard KM Virgo Transport 8.

Part of this article was originally published on TribunSolo.com under the title Karanganyar Resident Passengers of KM Virgo Still Migrated Despite Father's Objections, Had a Premonition When Parting.