Coast guard skipper reveals insights into search for missing mother and son
Felicity Loveday and Adrian Meneveau inexplicably vanished after setting off on a three-day boat trip. Now, a veteran Frankston rescue boat captain opens up on the heartbreaking moment he lost hope of finding them alive.
South East
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A veteran Frankston coast guard skipper involved in the search for a missing mother and son has revealed the heartbreaking moment he gave up hope of finding them alive.
Felicity Loveday, 84, and Adrian Meneveau, 54, set off from Frankston for a three-day boat trip on December 11.
But after Mr Meneveau texted his family on December 13, nothing has been heard from the pair since.
Marcus Grinblat, a coast guard member for more than 10 years, was on-board one of the coast guard vessels used in the search for the pair and said one of the biggest challenges they faced was the immense search area.
“We had three coast guard vessels involved in the search and were complimented by volunteer marine rescue Mornington and two police vessels,” he said.
“There were two areas designated to search, meaning the dilemma with it was there was no hard and fast area.
“There was no intelligence in terms of which way they went, so we had two large areas and were spread out across them.”
The coast guard vessels would head out at first light, about 6am every day, before changing over at 1.30pm and continuing their search until dark.
Crews of three people performed what is known as a “creeping line search” involving two vessels crawling the waters of Port Phillip Bay “very slowly”.
The search appeared to be headed towards a dire end when the missing boat was found capsized at a beach in Beaumaris on December 14.
“There comes a time where you start to worry and that was when the boat was found upside down near Ricketts Point,” Mr Grinblat said.
“I wouldn’t think conditions were that bad it could tip over a boat.”
Despite that feeling, Mr Grinblat said he was always hopeful of finding Ms Loveday and Mr Meneveau.
“I’ve been involved in a missing diver rescue two days after they went missing in Port Phillip Bay when it was quite rough,” he said.
“So I always had hope while I was searching.”
However, when police scaled back their search the dreaded feeling of losing hope washed over the skipper.
“Certainly initially and most of the way through it you’re concentrating on the job at hand,” he said.
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“As time goes on it crosses your mind, will they be found alive or are they still alive.
“It’s human not to give up hope, but when the police say they won’t continue it you mentally give up hope then.”
The Missing Persons Squad has taken over the investigation.