Bad weather hampers search for missing bodyboarder at North Wall Beach, Coffs Harbour breakwall
A man contacted police on Sunday night in relation to the search.
Coffs Harbour
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MONDAY MORNING: A man has contacted NSW Police to say he is the missing bodyboarder who sparked a huge search on Saturday afternoon.
At around 4.30pm on Sunday a member of the public contacted police identifying himself as the bodyboarder.
"At the moment police are trying to verify this and make contact with witnesses to ascertain if it is the man in question," a spokesperson said.
Wet weather and dangerous surf conditions persist across the region.
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SUNDAY MORNING: There was a false alarm in the search for a missing bodyboarder at North Wall Beach on Sunday morning.
Authorities believe the man in his 60s went missing on Saturday afternoon, just before 3pm, after a bystander saw a bodyboarder go under the water and fail to resurface.
The search was called off late on Saturday evening due to dangerous surf conditions.
Early on Sunday morning a walker saw what was believed to be a bodyboard in the water but when emergency services waded into the water they found what appeared to be an oyster crate.
The search has been delayed until conditions ease.
Large waves can be seen crashing onto the northern breakwall and gusts of wind and patches of heavy rain make searching extremely difficult.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Authorities are searching for a man believed to be missing from the northern breakwall at Coffs Harbour.
At about 2.45pm on Saturday police were called to breakwall following reports a bodyboarder - who had been sighted in the water - was missing.
A search is currently underway by officers from Coffs Clarence Police District, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and Surf Lifesaving NSW to locate the bodyboarder.
It is a man believed to be aged in his 60s.
The harbour has been the scene of several tragedies in recent times.
At the southern breakwall a man was killed when he was hit by a large wave in January.
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In the past few days there have been dramatic scenes across the region with unprecedented rainfall after an already very wet summer.
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With more wild weather on the way Coffs Harbour residents are being warned to take care.
Coffs Harbour SES is warning residents to be vigilant over the next 12 to 24 hours as upwards of 250mm of rain is predicted to fall by the Bureau of Meteorology.
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