Police scale back search for man four days after empty boat discovered
Police have scaled back their search for a fisherman whose empty boat was found drifting in the water on Friday.
Police have scaled back their search for missing fisherman Tony Andeliero four days after his empty boat was discovered off the coast of Illawarra.
In a statement released on Monday, a NSW Police spokesperson confirmed that, “despite extensive searches during difficult conditions, the man couldn’t be located”.
“The search, which has been conducted over the past four days and continued into Saturday night, was suspended today at 3pm.”
Patrols by Marine Area Command, Surf Life Savings NSW, Marine Rescue NSW and local lifeguards will continue in the coming days.
Mr Andeliero, a 61-year-old Wollongong father, had set off from Port Kembla about 8am on Friday, with emergency services called to Windang Island near Warilla about 6.40pm to reports his 4m Quintrex aluminium boat had been spotted empty in the water.
Police, Marine Area Command, Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Life Saving NSW and Polair launched a search for the man on Friday night, which has continued into Sunday.
It’s understood Mr Andeliero was alone on the boat and he hasn’t been seen since Friday.
The search, which has been conducted over the last three days, was forced to be abandoned at 2.40pm on Sunday due to changing weather and unfavourable searching conditions.
The search then resumed at 8am on Monday, before being scaled back at 3pm.
His vehicle and empty boat trailer were found in the Port Kembla boat ramp car park before the air and sea search ceased about 1am on Saturday.
Foot patrols were also carried out, however the man was not found.
Mr Andeliero’s daughter Kayla told 7News he was an experienced fisherman, who had spent a lot of time in the waters where he had set off from.
“He’s a really good fisherman, he’s been doing it since he was a child,” she said.
“We just want him to be found.”