A large-scale search for 44-year-old Ashley Haigh, missing after his boat was found unmanned, has expanded from the Gold Coast in Queensland to Byron Bay in NSW.
Police were told a black half-cabin Pleasure Craft failed to return to Runaway Bay Marina just after 7pm yesterday.
They tried to contact the vessel by radio before finding it empty in waters 25 nautical miles south-east of the seaway about seven hours later.
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Acting Senior Sergeant Shannon Gray said the keys to the boat were sitting on a seat inside but Haigh was nowhere to be found.
"His phone, we haven't been able to locate, but it's believed it was in the boat somewhere," Gray told reporters this afternoon.
"He may have it on him."
Gray said there are believed to have been four life jackets on board but only three were found by authorities.
"But the information source can't 100 per cent confirm there was four, so at this stage we're unaware," he said.
"That's the best case scenario and that will give him a better chance, if he is in the water with that life jacket on."
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Gray said the search area had been expanded from the Gold Coast towards the Byron Bay area and favourable conditions were aiding search efforts.
"Our priority at the moment is just to continue searching for the man and we'll continue through into the night and we'll continue again tomorrow morning," he said.
"I've spoken with his wife multiple times today. It's a very difficult time for them."
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