Several Marine Rescue NSW vessels have been out on the water during the search. Photo: Marine Rescue NSW.
UPDATE July 22, 4:15 pm: The four-day search for a missing South Coast fisherman has been suspended after his boat was recovered.
56-year-old Geoff Buchanan had left Batemans Bay Marina on Saturday (19 July) to fish for tuna on his boat, an 8-metre Arvor cruiser.
A NSW Police spokesperson said that at about 1:20 pm, an Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s (AMSA) Challenger aircraft found the missing boat.
It was about 80 nautical miles (148 km) east of Narooma.
The police spokesperson said no one was on board. No further information on Mr Buchanan was provided.
“Fisherman on board a nearby commercial fishing vessel assisted in stopping the vessel in challenging conditions,” the spokesperson said.
“The boat will be towed to shore.”
NSW Marine Area Command will continue their search in the coming days.
July 22, 3:10 pm: The search for a missing fisherman has entered its fourth day.
Emergency services were called to Batemans Bay Marina about 8 pm on Saturday (19 July), after a fisherman failed to return from a day’s fishing trip.
NSW Police Marine Area Command’s Chief Inspector Anthony Brazzill confirmed the 56-year-old to be Geoff Buchanan, and said he was carrying safety equipment.
“This gentleman was out fishing for tuna – I understand it was great conditions on the weekend,” he said.
Mr Buchanan had left the marina at 6 am on Saturday morning in an 8-metre Arvor cruiser. When he failed to return, emergency services were alerted at about 7:20 pm.
A multiagency search was also launched, which resumed at 8 am this morning (Tuesday 22 July).
The search has involved Marine Area Command, Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Life Saving members, as well as the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s (AMSA) Challenger aircraft and military aircraft.
While search efforts on the weekend focused on an area stretching from Ulladulla to Merimbula up to 12 nautical miles (22 km) offshore, it expanded yesterday afternoon (Monday 22 July) to cover an area from Port Stephens to the Victorian border.
He said the expansion meant the search area now spanned “well over 10,000 [to] 11,000 square nautical miles”.
According to NSW Police, this follows unconfirmed sightings of the vessel by members of the public – including one north of Foster on the Mid North Coast and another near Sydney’s Botany Bay.
Chief Inspector Brazzill said that while those sightings had been ruled out, people should still reach out if they believed they saw Mr Buchanan or his boat.
“We’d like to know what the boat was doing at the time – was it drifting? How fast was it going? … [It all helps] us to expand our search parameters.”
The boat is about eight metres in length and has the registration AMG 403N.
“It [the boat] could be anywhere. We’re open to anyone who may have information or who may have seen this boat or believed they saw this boat,” he said.
“We’re happy to take that information and follow it up from there.”
The 56-year-old fisherman and his boat (an 8-metre Arvor cruiser) remain missing off the NSW coastline. Photo: Facebook.
Authorities are also utilising SARMAP, an internationally used system in search and recovery operations, as part of their efforts.
“It takes into account [factors like] sea conditions, tidal currents and weather.
“Depending on the information that we program into it, that will throw out a search area.”
He also said Mr Buchanan’s phone had ‘pinged’ on Saturday at “about lunch-time” in an area south of Bermagui.
“That’s what we’ve taken as our last time of knowing where [he was located].”
Chief Inspector Brazzill said the search efforts would continue through Tuesday, before being re-evaluated once they finished for the day.
“We’re still hopeful,” he said.
“We all agree that we’re searching the right areas … [But] a search can’t go on forever – especially with the search area expanding.”
If anyone has a sighting or other information, they are asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the Marine Area Command on (02) 9320 7499.
