Authorities believe they have exhausted all opportunities to locate a swimmer who is believed to have vanished approximately 100 metres off a popular beach, with the search set to be scaled back.
Incident Details
The man was reported to be in distress off Perth's Trigg Beach around 5:15 pm on Tuesday, before he disappeared from sight. Emergency services, including Water Police, Police Air Wing, Volunteer Marine Rescue WA, and Surf Life Saving WA, have conducted extensive land and sea searches along the 20-kilometre stretch of coastline between Swanbourne and Sorrento.
Police divers were also deployed on Thursday, but no sign of the missing individual has been found.
Police Statement
Inspector Julie Foley told reporters on Thursday, "The male person has not been identified, nor have we been able to locate a swimmer at sea." She added that extensive searches of surrounding car parks and beaches have been conducted, but no items of interest or abandoned vehicles have been located.
The swimmer is believed to be in his 20s or 30s with brown hair, based on a description provided by another person who was in the water on Tuesday.
Search Conditions
Conditions at the time of the incident were described as fine, and remained reasonable on Wednesday. However, a change in weather on Thursday has hampered visibility for police divers conducting underwater searches.
Adding to the challenges, no one has come forward to report a missing person, leading police to consider the possibility that the man may be a solo traveller.
Search Scaled Back
Inspector Foley stated, "At this stage we believe we've exhausted all of our opportunities with regards to land and sea searching." She noted that police intend to seek information from the public that may provide further leads, but for now, the search will be scaled back.
Appeal for Information
Police are urging anyone who may have found themselves in distress but managed to make it back to shore on Tuesday to come forward. Witnesses or individuals who have not heard from friends or family members known to have visited Trigg Beach on Tuesday are asked to contact police on 131 444.
