THE FAMILY of a young fisherman missing since his tinny capsized in the Swansea Channel on Saturday night remains determined to bring "our boy" home as the official search is scaled back.
Water police, Marine Rescue NSW crews and Lake Macquarie officers patrolled the area on Wednesday and will continue into the weekend, but the multi-agency operation was suspended on Tuesday afternoon.
Three full days of searching from the land, sea and sky had sadly failed to find a trace of 23-year-old Toronto man Luke Smith.
Dozens of his loved ones gathered at the emergency service base on the Pelican foreshore and have remained there as they look for answers and remain strong in their hope.
His father David Smith described his only biological son as a "beautiful boy" who was loved by so many.
In a public post, he said money raised via a GoFundMe page, which has drawn more than $10,000 in two days, would support the family to keep searching for Luke if he was not found by emergency services.
"And if he is found, it will go towards the cost of laying him to rest," he said.
He thanked everyone who had donated money, food and supplies to the family camp, had visited to show their support, and had taken their boats and jet skis out to help comb the lake.
"For the locals, it's like losing someone in their own backyard pool and it really hits them hard," he said.
More resources could be reallocated to the search for Luke if relevant items were discovered.
Luke's auntie Saretta Fielding told the Newcastle Herald at the scene on Tuesday that his loved ones were urging water users at Lake Macquarie to keep their eye out for any signs.
"We know there are people in the community that are fisherman and sailors and understand the lake, and we ask that you would come alongside us to make sure that we bring Luke home," she said.
A public and widely-shared social media post from family on Wednesday said their plan to find Luke was to encourage as much community assistance as possible during a 'window of opportunity' between July 12 and 15.
"While very difficult, we are determined to do everything we can to bring Luke home and this coming [Friday to Monday] is the estimated time that Luke may surface for a short period of time," she wrote.
The family thanked anyone that could get out on the shore of the lake or in their boats and help.
She said the police had urged anyone who sighted anything of interest not to touch, drop a pin in maps, remain nearby, and call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or local police.
Luke and this three mates were out fishing just before 8pm on Saturday night when their tinny hit a buoy in the channel and flipped, throwing all four men into the cold water.
Two of the men, aged 23, and another, aged 20, managed to make it to shore after members of the public leapt into action.
It's understood Luke heroically tried to help one of his mates get to shore before he disappeared himself.
One of the 23-year-olds was taken to hospital with hypothermia that night, and the other underwent mandatory testing, police said.
Luke's family have pleaded with the community to make safe decisions on the water, urging everyone to wear a lifejacket and adhere to safety rules, particularly in the Swansea Channel and surrounding waters, which could be hazardous.
"At this time, our message to all families is to be alert to the ever-changing risks and dangers of the lake, no one should ever take for granted the need to always be conscious and making good choices and decisions, and we ask and hope that no one ever has to suffer what we're going through right now," Luke's uncle Andrew Smith said.
Anyone with information about the boating incident has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
