🚢 Search Resumes For Missing Fisherman Near Port Stephens

The multi-agency search for a 56-year-old fisherman missing from Batemans Bay on the state’s South Coast has resumed today, Tuesday, July 22, 2025, with the extensive search zone now reaching as far north as Port Stephens.

Emergency services were first alerted on Saturday, July 19, 2025, around 7:20 PM, after the man failed to return from a day-long fishing excursion. Police were informed that the 56-year-old had departed Batemans Bay Marina in his 8-metre Arvor cruiser at approximately 6 AM that morning and was last spoken to around 10 AM, before failing to return by evening.

The initial search operation was immediately launched by the Marine Area Command (MAC), with support from officers attached to the South Coast Police District, Marine Rescue NSW, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

Following unconfirmed public sightings of the vessel, the search area was significantly broadened to include waters off Port Stephens and extending southward towards the Victorian border. Today's intensified efforts involve teams from Marine Area Command, Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Lifesaving, and AMSA’s Challenger aircraft, all actively involved in the extensive operation.

Authorities are urging members of the public, particularly commercial fishermen who may have been in the Batemans Bay or Bermagui areas on Saturday, July 19, or over the weekend, to come forward with any information or if they believe they may have sighted the missing vessel.