Family 'holding out hope' for missing fisherman as search for NSW grandfather resumes
The search for a missing fisherman off the NSW Illawarra coast has resumed after it was called off yesterday due to choppy conditions.
Tony Andeliero, 60, a father, grandfather and experienced skipper, remains lost at sea but his family are desperately holding out hope after authorities began searching again about 8am today.
"We've got like little kids and they're not going to see their Pop anymore, so it's yeah, not great, not good," Andeliero's daughter Kayla told 9News.
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Tony Andeliero, 60, a father, grandfather and experienced skipper remains lost at sea. Nine
"He's been fishing his whole life. He goes out on his boat all the time. He's a very experienced fisherman.
"They've got boats and helicopters and people walking up and down the shores."
Andeliero set off from the Port Kembla boat ramp yesterday morning.
Almost 12 hours later, his tinnie was found empty, 500 metres off Windang Island, triggering a multi-agency search.
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Missing fisherman Tony Andeliero's daughter Kayla. 9News
Investigators are trying to work out exactly what time or how Andeliero went overboard.
NSW Police Inspector Will Collins said there were no issues with the vessel itself, which has been seized by police. His car remains parked at Port Kembla.
The search on Friday continued until the early hours of the morning before it resumed again at 6am on Saturday.
It was then called off yesterday due to choppy conditions.
A joint search party made up of NSW Police, Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Life Saving NSW and PolAir have begun looking for the owner of the boat. Nine
"We don't know where he has left the vessel, where he has entered the water," Collins said.
"There were lifejackets located in the vessel, so there was safety equipment there, but we can't actually say if he was wearing a lifejacket."
The challenge is the vast size of the search area, crews are looking everywhere from Lake Illawarra to the shore and even further out to sea.
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