Search to continue for lost fisherman

A SEARCH effort is expected to continue on Monday morning after a spear fisherman went missing following a dive near a reef off the Cairns coast.

At 4.15pm on Saturday the 26-year-old man became separated from his 56-year-old fishing companion and failed to return to the boat at Sudbury Reef.

Cairns Water Police started a search and rescue operation with the assistance of the rescue helicopter and the Coast Guard but the man was not found.

The search was stopped at last light on Sunday and will continue Monday morning. Divers searched the sea bed with helicopters and vessels combing the area.

Far North District duty officer Senior Sergeant Gregory Miles said several vessels searched a 47 square nautical mile area on Sunday. “Police divers arrived from Brisbane and have done a dive this afternoon and will continue to search in the morning,” he said.

“A decision will be made tomorrow about how long the search will continue.”

The Water Police vessel, the Perry Irwin remained in the area overnight and a Queensland Police spokeswoman confirmed the Rescue 510 helicopter along with three other helicopters, Water Police and the Cairns Volunteer Coast Guard were involved in the search efforts.

On Sunday, a plea by the missing man’s sister on social media for boaties to keep an eye out for him attracted hundreds of comments of support and hope.

Among countless comments of the post’s followers assuring the family they had shared the plea were messages of hope.

“I’ve been out at that reef when our boat snapped the anchor rope while we were spearfishing. We were in the water for just over 16 hours before search and rescue found us, it’s more than doable to survive out there overnight. Have faith, I hope he is found and OK, I only shared to try ease your mind a little,” Toby Waite said.