Police believe a fisherman currently missing in Tasmania’s north may have ended up in the water without a life jacket.
75-year-old Kerry Frankcombe was last seen leaving the Port Sorell boat ramp in a six-metre half-cab vessel for a fishing trip on Sunday.
His boat was discovered unattended the next day and despite an extensive search over the past three days, no further signs of Frankcombe have been found.
Inspector Shane LeFevre said the Westpac Rescue helicopter has again been deployed to search waters off the Tasmanian coast between Port Sorell and Beechford.
“Unfortunately, the significant number of resources we have deployed in the search so far have not located Mr Frankcombe,” LeFevre said.
“At this stage we believe Mr Frankcombe has ended up in the water, without a life jacket.”
“Our thoughts continue to be with Mr Frankcombe’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.”
Earlier this week Inspector Lefevre said forensic examinations would be conducted on the boat, which he believed to be seaworthy.
Lefevre said Mr Frankcombe was an experienced boatie and had informed his family about his plans, however, he had never fished in the area before and did leave his mobile phone at home.
While there was an emergency beacon (EPIRB) on board the vessel, it hadn’t been activated.
“He was just planning to go out for a morning fishing trip, by himself, he hadn’t been out fishing for some time and the weather presented as a great opportunity to do that,” Insepctor Lefevre said.
“It links to [our] theory that nothing untoward [had happened].”
Inspector Lefevre said the boat was found “a long way away” from the shore, but said with his experience “he would know if he was in trouble”.
