HUNT GETS DESPERATE
RACE AGAINST CLOCK TO FIND MISSING WALKER
A BEEFED-UP rescue party is in a race against time to find a man with a medical condition who has been missing in dense bush south of Dover since Saturday.
The man, 66, from Launceston, was last seen walking on Duckhole Lake track on Saturday morning and requires medication for an illness.
Police are also continuing their search today for a woman who disappeared after taking a dinghy into Copper Alley Bay at Lymington, south of Cygnet, on Friday.
Air, land and marine searches took place at the weekend for both missing people without success.
A larger search party at Duckhole Lake – a flooded sinkhole listed among Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks – will head out at first light.
Search co-ordinator Senior Constable Chris Williams said the man had set out in the state forest just after 8am.
He was walking with his dog but separately from his wife, who had gone up ahead to take photos.
“The dog’s ran ahead and caught up with the wife, which has alerted her that something is not right,” Sen-Constable Williams said.
The man has not been seen since.
About 15 search and rescue members scoured the area on Saturday while a party of 35 personnel continued searching yesterday.
More people will join the search today to “saturate” the cool climate rainforest.
Aiding the searchers and the man’s chance of survival have been warm and clear weather.
“I don’t believe the environmental conditions are going to factor into it at this stage but as the search gets protracted it will be an issue,” Sen-Constable Williams said.
Since the alarm was raised about noon on Saturday, the search has encompassed helicopters, quad and trail bikes, and walkers from Tasmania Police, the State Emergency Service and walking clubs.
The man, a member of a bushwalking club, was carrying some fruit and only equipped for a day walk, police said.
A partially eaten apple located during the search has been dispatched for forensic testing.
The man’s wife remained on the scene and was being joined by the couple’s two daughters from Launceston.
A marine police officer entered the lake yesterday afternoon checking under trees by its edge for any clues.
Acting Inspector Ian Mathewson said police were on alert due to the man’s medical condition.
“Knowing that he had a medical condition, we immediately deployed resources to that area [Saturday] afternoon to locate [him] and we also had personnel on the ground overnight,” he said.
“We are keen to find him most definitely sooner rather than later. His medical condition would affect his cognitive functions.”
The current search area sits in a radius of about 4km.
SES southern regional officer Mark Dance has had personnel searching forestry areas by vehicle.
“There’s forestry tracks and spurs all through the back of here,” he said.
“Weatherwise, it’s really good for the walkers [but] it’s pretty hard going in some of the scrub in there.”
The 66-year-old from Launceston was last seen walking on Duck Hole Lake track on Saturday morning and requires medication for his health condition.
Police are also continuing their search today for a woman who disappeared after taking a dinghy into Copper Alley Bay at Lymington, south of Cygnet, on Friday.