Saturday, 17 August 2019 05:26:27 PM
Police – who had been searching for a man missing in waters off Tathra – now believe the report was a hoax.
About 5.30pm (Wednesday 14 August 2019), emergency services were called to Gillards Beach, after reports of a swimmer had gone missing.
A search was initiated involving local police, coordinated by the Marine Area Command and assisted by State Emergency Service (SES), NSW Ambulance, Surf Rescue NSW, PolAir, and SES.
The search continued until yesterday (Friday 16 August 2019), when inquiries determined the report was false, and there was no missing swimmer.
Officers now wish to speak with a 42-year old man who may be able to assist with investigations into making false representations to police.
Police would like to thank the media and public for their assistance following appeals for information.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.