LAND and sea searches for a 78-year-old fisherman who went missing off rocks at Blairgowrie ocean beach, Sunday 29 October, were being scaled down late last week.
Police and emergency service crews appear to hold little hope for Wantirna man Yik Sua Hong who was last seen fishing off rocks at one of his regular fishing spots at noon.
A surfer told police deteriorating weather conditions were generating huge seas when he saw the man stand on the rocks. He was possibly swept into the sea.
Extensive searches by the Air Wing and Parks Victoria earlier in the week proved fruitless.
The man’s family had joined the desperate search of beaches and cliffs after finding his car locked and unattended in a car park. He was said to be a “keen” fisherman who frequented a fishing spot near the No. 16 access road.
Rosebud Police Senior Sergeant Eddie Logonder said strong winds and high tides in the exposed area made searching difficult. He said police divers had been unable to enter the water to search under ledges and in rock pools.
The weather was expected to improve over the weekend, he said.
Sorrento SES duty officer Peter LeBoeuf said the search had been hindered by the treacherous conditions. “Unfortunately we had no success,” he said. “We could not get too close to the water because of the weather.”
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 7 November 2017
