A father of three and his friend are still both missing after their run-down boat vanished in treacherous waters off Kangaroo Island, police reported on Monday.
A major air and sea search has failed to find any trace of them, but their devastated loved ones are refusing to give up hope.
The two missing men are Derek Robinson, 48, and Tony Higgins, 57.
They were on board the fishing boat Margrel which left Coffin Bay around 3 pm on Thursday, bound for Goolwa.
Late on Friday they made contact with a friend and reported having engine trouble and said they were diverting to Kangaroo Island.
The friend did not raise the alarm until Sunday afternoon – more than 36 hours later.
No further contact has been made, prompting police to begin an air search with the assistance of the Royal Australian Air Force. Friends of Mr. Robinson said he has no sailing experience.
However, Mr. Higgins is a former fishing vessel skipper. On Monday, a Poseidon from the Edinburgh RAAF base flew in to join the search effort.
The search area spans more than 4,500 square kilometres and conditions have deteriorated significantly.
“Given the length of time that’s elapsed we’re very concerned for their welfare and given the weather conditions, especially today, very treacherous, we do have grave fears for their safety,” a police spokesperson said.
Mr. Robinson’s brother Ian said that the family was extremely stressed. “We just hope they’ll be found safe and well,” he said.
Leave a Reply