Man missing after fight with friends vanished 'in the mere space of 50 metres'
Fears are growing for a missing student who has “completely gone off the grid” since leaving a pub after an argument with friends three days ago.
Poshik Sharma, 21, was last seen at the Duck Inn in Marysville, a popular tourist town in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, on Thursday about 3.50pm.
Mr Sharma and his friends were making a pit stop at the pub on the way to Mount Buller before they had a disagreement.
Inspector David Ryan told reporters on Sunday that the student disappeared "in the space of a mere 50 metres".
"Either he’s walked off into the bush ... or he has got a lift from someone – that’s what we’re hoping," he said.
‘Highly unusual for a young man’
He urged anyone who may have seen Mr Sharma to come forward.
"Anybody who was in town at that time, we really do need to talk to them in the hope that they’ve got some memory of seeing this young man, dressed quite distinctively with bright red shoes, the bright red scarf and then a black puffer jacket and black beanie," Inspector Ryan said.
"He’s quite a good-looking, young Indian man. He’s fit, he’s strong, with the way he’s dressed he should stand out to people."
Inspector Ryan said Mr Sharma's friends and family haven't heard from him since Thursday and attempts to trace a signal from his mobile phone have failed.
"There’s nothing further that we can gain from electronic inquiries around his mobile phone – he’s completely gone off the grid – which is highly unusual for a young man, not to continue to be engaged with social media or using his phone in some manner," he said.
Police to drain dam in search effort
Search efforts on Sunday are focused on the walking tracks around Marysville and its waterways.
A police search and rescue team, State Emergency Service volunteers and police dogs plan to work until light fades.
Victoria Police confirmed to Yahoo News Australia they are also draining a dam as part of their ongoing search.
“At this stage there is nothing to suggest there is anything or anyone in the water and this is purely a line of investigation,” police said.
Mr Sharma's sister Samta is also in the town to join the search and has pleaded for help to find him.
Police hold grave fears for his safety, given the cold weather and rain.
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