Australian-Flagged Yacht Found Abandoned on Rote Ndao Beach, NTT

Police in the Rote Timur sector of the Rote Ndao Resort Police, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), are investigating the discovery of an Australian-flagged yacht that ran aground on Duile Beach, Oesosole Hamlet, Faifua Village, Rote Timur District, on Tuesday, 16 June 2026.

Rote Timur Police Chief, Second Police Inspector A. Ikram Mahben, stated that the vessel was found without any crew or passengers, raising a number of questions regarding its origin and the cause of its grounding in Indonesian waters.

"From the examination, several documents were found pointing to the vessel’s identity, including a purchase offer form and a sale and purchase agreement containing the name of the vessel Balamara, the vessel type, hull number, and the identities of the seller and buyer," he said.

The vessel named Balamara was first discovered by local residents in a stranded condition with no crew or passengers. The information was then reported to the Faifua Village Community Security and Order Supervisor, Second Police Adjutant Inspector Yermias Benu, who subsequently forwarded it to the Rote Timur Police for an on-site inspection.

Ikram Mahben said that upon arrival at the location, his personnel found the vessel empty. For the purposes of the investigation, the police then conducted an initial examination of the vessel and the items still inside it.

In addition to documents, officers also secured a number of items found inside the vessel, including a GPS unit, a television, an electric drill, and several pieces of clothing. These items were secured as part of the identification process and further investigation.

Rote Ndao Police Chief, Senior Police Commissioner Mardiono, explained that the security measures were taken to ensure the vessel did not drift away with the current, while also preserving evidence that could potentially help uncover the chronology of the vessel’s presence in the Rote Timur region.

Because the vessel is Australian-flagged, the Police Chief added, the investigation process will be further coordinated with the NTT Regional Police and relevant agencies to trace the vessel’s status, its last owner, and the possibility of any missing reports or maritime incidents involving the vessel.