Drones scour coastline for missing Albany teenager as counsellors arrive at search area to be with family

Police drone pilots will continue the search for the body of a missing 18-year-old Albany man tomorrow after the operation became a recovery mission today. Great Southern Police Superintendent Ian Clarke confirmed two police drones were used in a thorough search of the coastline today before the search was suspended about 5pm due to challenging weather conditions. The drones flew over the coastline from Two Peoples Bay east to Mermaid Beach and beyond. Supt Clarke said police continued to work with family at the scene today and the search would resume tomorrow morning. Counsellors were brought in to be with the family who have been based at nearby at Cheynes Beach since the tragedy started unfolding on Saturday afternoon. The search for the man was scaled back today after police admitted late on Monday that hope of finding him alive was lost. Rescue vessels, helicopters and drones had been used to scour the ocean near Mermaid Beach over the past three days after the man and his 23-year-old friend were swept off rocks while fishing along the rugged coastline east of Albany on Saturday. The 23-year-old was plucked from the ocean by Albany Sea Rescue after treading water for at least 90 minutes, but his younger friend was not found. The rescued man spent several hours with police on Monday, visiting the rock fishing spot where the tragic events started. “We will conclude the emergency response and tomorrow we will move to a recovery mode,” Great Southern Police Supt Ian Clarke said on Monday. “That will involve again utilising the drone assets that we have and they’ll be monitoring the coastline for the remainder of the week, weather permitting. “We do have further weather coming in but we will be doing our best to maintain that surveillance over the course of the week.” Cassie Wynne read out a brief statement on behalf of the family at the police command point on Monday, at the entry to the track that leads to the remote rock fishing spot where the teenager went missing. The search area, near Cheynes Beach in Waychinicup National Park, is only accessible by four-wheel-drive. Supt Clarke said it was a tough situation for everyone involved in the search, especially the families who have been at Cheynes Beach since the teenager went missing. “This is a very difficult time for the family,” he said. “The searches as always are trying very hard to actually find someone. “From our perspective (we) really want to be able to bring that young man home for his family. “We are working with other agencies, counsellors to come in and support the family, and we’ll continue to talk to them throughout this terrible situation they’ve found themselves in.” The two men were fishing for blue groper in 4m to 6m swells when a wave swept them off the rocks about 2.20pm on Saturday. Police said they were not wearing lifejackets. Two other people in the area ran to a higher point so they could call triple-0. The incident follows the deaths of Northam couple Geoffrey Bignell, 30, and Victoria McCloy, 22, near Albany in 2019 after they were swept off rocks while fishing for blue groper. “It’s a very popular fish and tragically there have been other people who have lost their lives in pursuit of this fish,” Supt Clarke said. “So chasing it is very risky business.” Fortunately, a sea rescue vessel was already in the water on Saturday, involved in a separate search for 36-year-old Christopher Hoy who had been reported missing near Ledge Beach. The vessel was diverted to the Mermaid Beach search, where they found the 23-year-old treading water about 200m offshore. “That was probably one of those things where timing was everything,” Supt Clarke said. “The fact that we actually had the sea rescue resources in the water right at the time that we received this, we were able to send them very quickly to the rescue point where they were able to pick up the 23-year-old man.” Mr Hoy, whose vehicle had been left in the Ledge Beach carpark, was found 36km away in the town of Manypeaks on Sunday afternoon. An extensive land and sea search was undertaken in search of the Albany man, who was reported missing by a roommate after he did not come home from a fishing trip on Thursday. The searches put local emergency services resources under pressure. An Australian Maritime Safety Authority Challenger jet joined a police helicopter, civilian helicopter and police drones in the air. SES volunteers were involved in the land search for Mr Hoy near Ledge Beach. Mr Hoy was taken to Albany Health Campus for a check-up on Sunday.