Police say the “very experienced” fisher who went missing overboard during a fishing competition on Sunday afternoon is believed to have become entangled in fishing gear before he was dragged off the boat.
A multi-agency search is under way for the game fisher Paul Barning, after he fell overboard while fishing at about 1pm on Sunday, 55km off the coast of Newcastle.
Barning was initially reported to have been taken by a shark after falling off the boat, but another fisher denied a shark was involved and said the man was dragged overboard in a freak accident.
Supt Joe McNulty, from the New South Wales police marine area command, said Barning was believed to have been forced overboard after he became entangled in his fishing gear while retrieving a shark, but there was no evidence the shark had attacked him.
“What we can confirm is the vessel had hooked up a shark in its fishing gear and they were trying to retrieve the shark, usually for a tag and release program,” McNulty said on Monday afternoon.
“We believe the shark was quite large – the vessel was only 6.8 metres in length itself so during that process of bringing the shark alongside, he has become entangled in the fishing line and the shark has taken off.
“That fishing line has pulled taut and maybe contributed to him going over the side of the vessel.”
McNulty added there was “no evidence” the shark attacked Barning in the water.
On Monday afternoon, the search was being hampered by fast-moving currents. It was due to resume on Tuesday, extending as far south as Jervis Bay, east of Canberra.
“It is a large search area, it’s 1,500 nautical miles at this stage, because the current is moving so fast,” McNulty said.
Crews from the water police, marine rescue and the life saver rescue helicopter responded to the incident on Sunday.
The NSW Game Fishing Association president, Steve Lamond, who said he had known Barning for 20 years, described the incident as a freak accident.
“He was basically dragged overboard, underwater and disappeared,” he said on Monday. “He was tragically lost at sea in the most unlikely of circumstances whilst fishing on his boat.”
– with AAP
