Officers with the New South Wales Police Force say the owner of FireFly has been found safe and well. The yacht was found drifting off the state's northern coast.
19 May
A spokesman for the New South Wales Police Force in Australia says the owner of the yacht, FireFly, has been found, safe and well.
The 48-year-old man was feared dead after his vessel was found adrift and unattended off Samurai Beach, Port Stephens on 16 May.
A multi agency search for the man was launched.
It involved officers attached to the Marine Area Command and Port Stephens Water Police, with assistance from Volunteer Marine Rescue, Surf Lifesaving, Westpac Rescue Helicopter and local police. The search covered areas from Nelson Bay to Stockton Beach.
“About 12.00pm today (Thursday, 19 May 2016), a 48-year-old man attended Newcastle Police Station, to notify police he was safe and well after being alerted by reports in the media,” said the spokesman.
Officers from the Marine Area Command are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the boat being abandoned.
18 May
New South Wales Police say FireFly was found adrift in Port Stephens on 17 May.
A man came across the yacht in shallow water at Samurai Beach. When he could not find anyone on board, he towed the vessel out to deeper water and anchored it.
The man then contacted Marine Rescue and Marine Area Command at around 3pm.
The police believe that a 48-year-old man from Tasmania may have been residing on the FireFly.
A large scale search to find him started today, 18 May. It involved officers attached to Marine Area Command and Port Stephens Water Police, with assistance from Volunteer Marine Rescue, Surf Lifesaving, Westpac Rescue Helicopter and local police.
The search covered an area from Nelson Bay to Stockton Beach. It was suspended at 3pm local time and is expected to resume on 19 May.
“At 8am tomorrow (Thursday 19 May 2016), officers attached to Marine Area Command with assistance from Port Stephens Water Police will conduct a recovery search,” said a New South Wales Police Force spokesman.
“Due to conditions of the water, it is unlikely the 48-year-old man was able to survive,”continued the spokesman.
Detectives are continuing with inquiries regarding the FireFly. Officers believe the yacht may have been around Lemon Tree Passage on the morning of 17 May.
Mystery surrounds the Tamaya 1 ‘ghost ship’
An investigation has been launched by the Liberian authorities after the abandoned oil tanker washed ashore on a beach at…
$7.5m to spare? Then the Ghost boat could be yours
This impressive Ghost stealth vessel is built for the military and is sold by Berthon Brokerage.
‘Ghost ship’ sunk by Irish navy just before being claimed by owner
The yacht was worth tens of thousands of pounds and had travelled alone 3,000 miles across the Atlantic.
Skipperless ‘ghost boat’ found off the coast of Australia
Rescue teams launched a search for fishermen Mick Endres after discovering his empty fishing boat anchored to the seabed