DILI, 07 April 2026 (TATOLI) — Australian authorities have intensified search efforts for a Timorese worker who went missing at sea near Emerald Beach in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, officials said.
Joel Assa, 30, was reported missing at around 10:15 a.m. local time on Tuesday after entering the water in rough conditions, according to authorities and witnesses.
Search efforts are ongoing, led by local police with support from the Timor-Leste Embassy in Australia.
João Correia, National Director for Overseas Employment at the Secretariat of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE), said embassy officials were assisting with rescue and maritime monitoring equipment.
“Teams remain on the ground and continue efforts to locate the worker,” Correia told TATOLI.
Assa, a native of Afaloicai in Viqueque municipality, was born on June 7, 1995.
He had participated in a labor mobility program jointly run by the governments of Timor-Leste and Australia and later worked under contract with Connect Group (Rose Farm) from 2024.
His employment contract ended in January this year, according to officials.
Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Australia, Inês Almeida, confirmed that Assa had been living in the area for only a short period before his disappearance.
A witness, Augusto Soares, who was with Assa at the time, said the group had gone fishing together with another colleague.
“They went ahead first, and I followed,” Soares said. “When I arrived, I noticed the sea was rough, so I stayed back at a distance out of concern.”
He said one of the fishing lines hooked a fish but could not pull it in, prompting Assa and another colleague to enter the water to retrieve it.
According to Soares, Assa was swept away by waves and shouted for help, but the depth and conditions of the sea prevented any rescue attempt.
Soares returned home to alert police, who later launched the search operation.
Authorities have not yet located the missing worker.
TATOLI
