Hope fades for missing kayaker
Family and friends of an Adelaide kayaker missing off Tasmania’s south coast have all but given up hope of finding him alive.
William McCallum, 27, was last seen when setting off on a work trip in his kayak from Port Esperance on Sunday afternoon.
He was shooting promotional photos of the coastline for local accommodation and tourism operators.
The search for him resumed at first light this morning, while his girlfriend and other friends and family also joined the search.
“You hold out hope but as they days kind of go by, it’s not looking good,” Mr McCallum’s uncle Steven Dounton said.
Mr McCallum’s kayak, a paddle and his boots were found several kilometers away from where he was last seen.
“It is a lot easier to swim without sailing boots on, so it’s logical somebody would take them off,” Acting Inspector Marcus Pearce from Tasmania Police said.
Police said his only chance of survival is if he made it to land.
“If he is in the water, I don’t think there is much hope at all,” Acting Insp Pearce said.
Police said the search will continue, with divers likely to take to the water tomorrow.
