Search for missing boatie Tony Higgins near Victor Harbor enters second day
Several items from the boat Margrel – including glasses and an ID belonging to boatie Tony Higgins – have been found near the Murray Mouth. Police say the chances of finding him alive are “diminishing”.
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SA Police have confirmed that several items, including a bag with glasses and an ID card belonging to missing boatie Tony Higgins, has been found near the Murray Mouth.
The air search for Mr Higgins will continue this afternoon and into Thursday with police saying as the search goes on the chances of finding him are “diminishing”.
Waters are rough so rescue boats are not out on the ocean, the searchers instead using a helicopter and fixed-wing plane and patrols along the coast.
Police said the second discovery of debris was consistent with the vessel belonging to missing Mr Higgins, who vanished for a second time on Tuesday morning.
The debris was spotted several kilometres southeast of the Murray Mouth just after 6.30am.
Mr Higgins, 57, was at the centre of South Australia’s largest maritime search earlier this month.
He used his phone to call emergency services to say his vessel, called the Margrel, was taking on water near Granite Island just after 5am on Tuesday.
Sea rescue boats spent hours looking for Mr Higgins, but rough conditions forced them to return to shore about 10.30am.
A first piece of debris was located in the water around 4.30pm. Authorities continued their search from the air until 11pm on Tuesday, and resumed their efforts at first light Wednesday morning.
Rescue boats are not expected to be used on the second day, as SA Police instead lead the search from the air with a helicopter and a plane.
Rough conditions off the coast of Victor Harbor has forced rescue boats to return to shore, while Tony Higgins remains missing. A fixed-wing aircraft was seen flying overhead @theTiser pic.twitter.com/K3wQmjGWIM
— Gabriel Polychronis (@G_Polychronis) September 22, 2020
Aircraft combed the Victor Harbor area, as well as along the Coorong, for a whole day on Tuesday.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority deployed one of their Bombardier Challenger 604 rescue jets from Melbourne. The jet, equipped with infrared radar equipment, arrived over Granite Island at 3pm and searched for Mr Higgins until 11pm.
Local rescue officers are also on Granite Island searching the land on foot.
This is the second time emergency services have launched a search for Mr Higgins and his leaky, 33ft vessel.
Just two weeks ago, the 57-year-old and his friend Derek Robinson, 48, vanished off the Eyre Peninsula coast after embarking on a trip from Coffin Bay to Goolwa in the same boat.
It sparked the largest maritime search in the state’s history, costing the taxpayer $650,000.
The two men were missing for more than four days, but were found alive on the Coorong near Salt Creek, to the great relief of family and the community, just hours after the search was officially called off.
Mr Higgins claimed he was never lost and had no idea people were looking for him.
At 4pm on Monday, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning for heavy swell and rough seas on SA’s coast.
The last confirmed sighting of Mr Higgins’s Margrel was when it was anchored just off Granite Island about 3pm on Monday.
Strong westerly winds has continued on Tuesday, as Alexandrina Mayor and experienced sailor Keith Parkes expressed concerns for the man.
“I would hate to think that anybody would have deliberately gone out to sea in this weather, it sounds like it may have been unintentional and he got set adrift and got into trouble,” he said.
“Hopefully they find him OK, but it is looking pretty horrible out there and he has been out there for a long time now.”
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said such rescues were necessary but cost significant amounts of money to launch.
He said boaties, and those out in the ocean, had an obligation to undertake safe practices.
“I think it is fair to say there is an element of frustration in that the state’s resources are being dedicated to this for the second time,” he said.
“The first event cost us in the region of $650,000.
“We have an obligation to ensure the safety of all South Australians and search and rescue efforts will always be undertaken.
“But there is an obligation that sits with all of us that we act in a way that doesn’t put ourselves at risk or other people at risk and it is somewhat disappointing that we’re doing this again.”
He said the conditions posed a risk to rescuers.
“Anybody who is engaged in a search and rescue mission will be by virtue of the work they are doing will accept some level of risk to provide assistance to those people who are missing. That’s part our job.
“They do put themselves in harm’s way to provide assistance and support to others. It is unfortunate that we are doing this again for the same person in such a short period of time.”
After Mr Higgins was found after the first time he went missing, he was fined $1000 for having insufficient safety equipment and no operator’s licence.
The vessel had an out-of-date EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) and out-of-date flares, and police said Mr Higgins did not hold an appropriate recreational boat licence.
Mr Higgins found himself in more trouble over the weekend when he was caught by a low tide and became temporarily stranded while trying to dock at Victor Harbor.