Police Suspend Search for Missing Gold Coast Father Ash Haigh After Boat Found Empty
Police have suspended the search for missing Gold Coast fisherman and father Ash Haigh after his boat was found drifting empty in open waters off Queensland.
Haigh, 44, an experienced fisherman and former president of the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club, set out from the Gold Coast Seaway around 6:30am on Thursday to fish for marlin. When he failed to return that evening, police were alerted and an extensive search operation was launched.
In the early hours of Friday, Haigh’s black half-cabin boat, The Grey Ghost, was discovered approximately 25 nautical miles southeast of the seaway with no one on board. Over four days, police and rescue teams searched more than 1,800 square nautical miles, deploying helicopters, boats, rescue aircraft, and jets, with search areas extending as far south as Yamba in New South Wales.
On Saturday, an inactive Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) registered to Haigh was found 14 nautical miles off Ballina. Police also confirmed a life jacket was missing from the vessel, raising the possibility Haigh may have been wearing it at the time of the incident.
By Sunday, the operation transitioned from search and rescue to recovery, before being formally suspended at last light. Authorities say investigations will continue to determine whether Haigh fell overboard or was pulled into the water by a marlin, which can weigh up to 200 kilograms.
Haigh has been remembered by family and friends as “an incredible dad, a loving partner and just an all-round top bloke.” A GoFundMe established to support his wife Jess and their children has raised more than $37,000.
Police continue to appeal for any information that may assist in locating Ash Haigh or clarifying the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.