Police say two Sydney fishermen who have been missing near Jervis Bay since mid January are presumed drowned.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A multi-agency search for the men of Chinese origin, aged 45 and 55, failed to find them after they didn’t return from a camping trip in the Booderee National Park on January 22.
A NSW Police spokesperson said no trace of the men, apart from some fishing gear, had been found and they were presumed drowned.
The first report about the missing men was taken on January 25 in Sydney, but with very limited details from the informant.
Police inquiries determined Jervis Bay as the possible location where the men may have gone fishing, with Australian Federal Police finding a white motor vehicle belonging to one of the men parked at Steamers Beach in the Booderee National Park on January 27.
A land and air search started later that day involving police, SES crews and the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter.
The crew of the rescue helicopter, Lifesaver 23 from Moruya, spotted fishing equipment owned by the men, on a rock ledge in a remote area of the park known as Black Rock around 5pm.
Due to its remote location, SES crews were unable to gain access to the fishing gear, with the helicopter crew recovering the equipment on the southern headland of Jervis Bay.
Despite extensive land and seas searches the men have not be located.
The NSW Police Force Marine Area Command, which took control of the search, downgraded its efforts in early February and despite patrols in the area as part of routine operations, failed to find the men and abandoned the search.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Nowra Police on 4421 9699, NSW Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.