The search for a missing 43-year-old man has been suspended after an empty boat was found adrift off the NSW coast.
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Ashley McKellar was last seen at a home in Bolton Point in Lake Macquarie about 8.30am on Wednesday.
Police believe Mr McKellar set off in his medium-sized aluminium boat from an access area at Bolton Point about 10.30am.
An extensive two-day search culminated in the recovery of a boat about 37km from the coast on Thursday afternoon.
Mr McKellar was not with his vessel, a spokesman for NSW Police said.
By 5.15pm rescue vessels were stood down after Marine Rescue NSW Hunter/Central Coast Zone Commander Steve Raymond said there was no sign of anyone in the water.
"All of the volunteers from our various units put in a mammoth effort committing to a full day of searching," Mr Raymond said.
A multi-agency search will resume again from 8am on Friday.
Marine Rescue NSW crews searched with Water Police officers for more than four hours on Wednesday night after Mr McKellar failed to return.
"LM 30 began searching around 7.45pm until they were stood down at midnight," Marine Rescue NSW Hunter/Central Coast Zone Commander Steve Raymond said.
Numerous Marine Rescue boats resumed the search about 7.30am on Thursday, scanning the Hunter lagoon, which is about double the size of Sydney Harbour.
Other rescue boats worked with Water Police searching from Anna Bay to Newcastle on Thursday, with aerial searches off the coast of Redhead in southern Newcastle.
More searches have covered areas north of Newcastle.
Mr McKellar is described as Caucasian, about 185cm tall with a medium build and short brown hair and wears dark-rimmed glasses.
His boat, a Telewater 4.8m runabout, has registration plates VK844N.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police.
Australian Associated Press
