Mooloolaba Coast Guard, Water Police in search for recreational fisher

Fears are growing as a search continues for a fisherman missing off the Sunshine Coast, as weather conditions deteriorate after the man’s empty boat was found offshore.

Fears are growing as emergency services continue searching for a fisherman missing off the Sunshine Coast.

The fisherman failed to return from a trip off the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, November 26.

Rescuers have since found his boat and mobile phone.

A Sunshine Coast Water Police spokesman said their fears were growing as Monday’s search came to an end.

“The aerial search has been completed. Seven helicopters and a constellation aircraft from Canberra have searched the entire area and found nothing,” he said.

“We’ve still got seven boats with more than 35 people out there looking for him.

“They’ll all call it a day at nightfall ... so not long after 6pm.

“We’ll all head out again at 7am (Tuesday) morning.”

However, a storm and deteriorating conditions could impact Tuesday’s search efforts.

“It’s not going to be a great day with the storm tomorrow,” he said.

“The level will be up to a metre and a half at sea.”

Emergency services continue to search for a missing fisher who failed to return from a boating trip off the Sunshine Coast yesterday. They found his boat today near Moreton Island.

Earlier today, Mooloolaba Coast Guard Commander Lee Campbell said the man’s boat had been found in the northern channel near Moreton Island and his mobile phone was still on board.

The alarm was raised on Sunday after the recreational fisher, aged in his 40s, failed to return from a trip to shoals known as the Outer Gneerings at 3pm Sunday.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said the fisher, in his 40s, was unaccompanied and the boat was a Cruise Craft Regal 2000.

Mr Campbell said the fisher was a “local” and one of the Coast Guard’s supporters.

Mooloolaba Coast Guard Commander Lee Campbell said they were still searching for the man aged in his 40s who failed to return home from a fishing trip on Sunday, November 26. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“He regularly logs on and logs off with us and that’s why alarm bells rang when he didn’t log off,” Mr Campbell said.

The commander said the boatie’s vehicle and trailer were found in the car park near the Mooloolaba Coast Guard headquarters on Parkyn Pde.

Mr Campbell said the man’s wife rang about 6pm “quite concerned”.

He said a search of this nature was tough.

The Mooloolaba Coast Guard is involved in the search for a missing fisher who failed to return home from a boating trip on Sunday afternoon. Picture: Letea Cavander

“If you go and stand on Alexandra Headland and look out, there’s a lot of water out there,” Mr Campbell said.

A police spokeswoman said on Monday the search would continue until dusk.

Mr Campbell said it was unknown if the man was wearing a life jacket and did not have a personal EPIRB on.

“At the moment, it’s a matter of getting the crews out on the water and starting search patterns,” he said.

The search may take in more than 300 square nautical miles from where emergency services were last night to where the boat was found Monday morning in an area a drift may have occurred.

Sunshine Coast and Brisbane Water police, Mooloolaba and Caloundra Coast Guards will continue to search.

Two rescue aircraft are also in the air.