SUNDAY 5 JANUARY: A search for a man missing after a recreational fishing boat was found drifting off the Illawarra coast on Friday has entered its second day.
Emergency services were called to Windang Island near Warilla, about 6:40 pm on Friday (3 January 2025), after a 4m Quintrex aluminium boat was found empty and drifting.
Officers attached to Lake Illawarra Police District and Marine Area Command, Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Life Saving NSW and PolAir, commenced a search for the 61-year-old owner who police believe was alone on the boat.
The search continued until 1 am, and resumed at 6 am yesterday (Saturday 4 January 2025); foot patrols of the shoreline were conducted overnight without success.
The search resumed at 8 am today (Sunday 5 January 2025), again involving officers attached to Lake Illawarra PD, Marine Area Command, and PolAir, assisted by members from Marine Rescue NSW and Surf Life Saving.
SATURDAY, 4 JANUARY: Marine Rescue crews searching for a man who went missing in waters off Windang have been stood down for the day while NSW Police continue to scour the area.
The multi-agency search began on Friday night (3 January) after an unmanned recreational fishing boat was located drifting off Windang.
Police were told that the owner of the 4-metre Quintrex aluminium boat was a man in his 60s and had been alone on the vessel.
The man was last seen on Friday morning and his vehicle and empty boat trailer were located in the Port Kembla boat ramp car park.
Officers from Lake Illawarra Police District, Marine Area Command, Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Life Saving NSW and PolAir searched the air and sea on Friday night from 6:30 pm to 1 am the following morning, with foot patrols of the shoreline conducted overnight without success.
The operation resumed at 6 am on Saturday (4 January) again involving Lake Illawarra PD, Marine Area Command, PolAir, and members from Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Life Saving and the SES.
Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Stuart Massey joined Marine Rescue volunteers to assist police efforts, but the crews were stood down at 2:30 pm as conditions “were deteriorating with increasing wind causing a lot of chop on the surface.”
“Marine Rescue NSW vessels Port Kembla 31 and Shellharbour 30, as well as Port Kembla Jet skis, were deployed to assist NSW Water Police with parallel search patterns from Flagstaff Point to Bass Point,” Inspector Massey said.
“Our crews have returned to base and are awaiting further instruction from Marine Area Command. NSW Water Police will continue to search the area.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via the Crime Stoppers website. The community is reminded not to contact NSW Police through social media channels.