Latest news with #BatemansBay
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
‘No one was on board': Rescue abandoned after grim discovery
An urgent search for missing fisherman Geoff Buchanan has been abandoned after his boat was discovered almost 150km out to sea unmanned and drifting aimlessly. Emergency services were called to Batemans Bay Marina about 8pm on Saturday after the 56-year-old Sussex Inlet man failed to return from a daylong fishing trip. About 1.20pm on Tuesday, Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Challenger aircraft found the fisherman's empty boat east of Narooma. Nearby commercial fishing boats assisted in stabilising the drifting cruiser amid choppy sea conditions. The vessel is being towed back to shore. Police were informed that Mr Buchanan had departed the marina about 6am aboard an eight-metre Arvor cruiser. He was last spoken to about 10am. When he didn't return as expected, concerns were raised and emergency services were notified about 7.20pm. A search operation was launched by the Marine Area Command, with support from South Coast Police District officers, Marine Rescue NSW and AMSA. The search area was expanded significantly, stretching from Port Stephens in the north to the Victorian border in the south. NSW Police marine area command officer detective chief inspector Anthony Brazzill said Mr Buchanan suffered from diabetes and police had not ruled out the possibility he suffered a medical episode onboard. 'The gentleman does have health issues managing diabetes that we're extremely concerned about … we understand he had the medication,' Inspector Brazzill said. 'But if something did happen where he had an episode and couldn't get to his medication, that is our grave concern.' Mr Chaffey said Mr Buchanan had been planning to fish for tuna near the continental shelf and potentially stop for a dive on the way back on Saturday. '(Mr Buchanan) was very safety conscious,' he said. 'He always lets the marina know where he's going, when he's going.' A close friend of Mr Buchanan, and manager of the Batemans Bay d'Albora marina, Mitch Chaffey, told the ABC Mr Buchanan was a highly experienced waterman. 'Geoff's been around the water his whole life, very experienced in the water and on the water, fisherman, skin diver, who knows his way around a boat,' Mr Chaffey said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Boats, aircraft helping in search for missing fisherman
Rescue boats have navigated around whales and helicopters have taken to the skies as a search for a missing fisherman who failed to return after a day trip to sea ramps up. Emergency services were called to the Batemans Bay Marina, on the NSW south coast, on Saturday night after a 56-year-old man was reported missing. The man left the marina about 6am in an eight-metre Arvor cruiser for a day's fishing trip. He was spoken to about 10am but has not been heard from since. When he failed to return to the marina on Saturday evening, emergency services were called in to try and find him. Marine Area Command and Marine Rescue NSW crews, a fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter searched offshore waters until nearly 1am, but neither the man nor his boat was found. "The Marine Rescue Batemans Bay and Bermagui crews said sea conditions were favourable last night, but it was quite dark with little assistance from the moon, and they had to navigate around numerous whales," Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Stuart Massey said. The search restarted on Sunday with dozens of volunteers, six boats, aircraft and Surf Life Saving NSW deployed to help find the man. Insp Massey said sea conditions are favourable again on Sunday morning with good visibility for the volunteers scouring the ocean for the missing man. "They are searching an area offshore from just north of Narooma to south of Bermagui under the direction of Marine Area Command and will continue to do so until otherwise instructed," he said.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Australia news live: Tasmanian election delivers another hung parliament, but Liberals are ahead
Update: Date: 2025-07-19T22:39:13.000Z Title: Content: A sweeping search is under way for a fisherman missing on the New South Wales south coast. Emergency services were called to Batemans Bay Marina about 8pm on Saturday after a fisherman failed to return from a day's fishing trip, NSW Police said in a statement on Sunday morning. The 56-year-old man had left the marina about 6am in an 8m Arvor cruiser, and was spoken to again at about 10am, police said. But emergency services were alerted about 7.20pm when he failed to return. Marine Area Command launched a search operation which continued throughout the night, involving vessels from Marine Area Command, Marine Rescue NSW, as well as a fixed wing aircraft and helicopter. Neither the man nor the boat were found. The search continues with additional assistance from Surf Life Saving NSW. Update: Date: 2025-07-19T22:34:46.000Z Title: Good morning Content: folks. My name is Stephanie Convery and I'll be bringing you all the live news and updates you could need on this Sunday 20 July. We're going to start in Tasmania, where yesterday's state election has resulted in another hung parliament. Liberal leader and incumbent premier Jeremy Rockliff declared victory on Saturday night after his party secured 14 seats to Labor's nine, but both are short of the 18 required for majority. Rockliff said he would ask the governor to recommission his government. However, Labor leader Dean Winter didn't concede defeat and appeared to leave the door open to governing, if the Liberals couldn't make it work. More on that story shortly. It's been a frosty and cold start to the day in many parts of Australia but hopefully some news – and a nice big mug of coffee – will start to warm you up. Let's get stuck in.
