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The mysterious disappearance of a local fisherman has left a community in distress after his boat was discovered adrift off the coast of Burleigh. The vessel was found unoccupied nearly seven hours following his last known contact.
Andrew Dunbar, a close friend of the missing man, Ash Haigh, has known him for 15 years. He recalled their conversation the night before Haigh vanished, expressing a hopeful sentiment, “Our hope is that we find Ash.”
According to Dunbar, if anyone had to be out at sea, the recent weather conditions were about as favorable as they could be, which only deepens the mystery surrounding Haigh’s disappearance.
Haigh’s absence is felt deeply within the community, where he is regarded as a vital figure in the local fishing industry. Dunbar emphasized Haigh’s integral role, describing him as the backbone of the community.
Dunbar described Haigh as the backbone of the local fishing community. 
“He’s a very experienced fisherman, been fishing for a long time,” he said.
Stuart Grice from Doug Burt’s Tackle World said Haigh was well-known in the fishing community.
“Ash is a local friend of the fishing community, president of the local Gold Coast game fish club. Well-renowned fisherman, skipper, father, husband,” he said. 
9News understands Haigh was on a mission to reel in a marlin, which can be a challenge for even experienced anglers. 
He was also known to pack multiple fishing rods but authorities only found one on board.
Police also found one life jacket missing, but were unable to confirm whether he had been wearing one at the time. 
Today, they expanded their search area further south from Byron Bay to Evans Head.
Both NSW and Queensland authorities have been out searching for Haigh, with five marine vessels and one aircraft scouring the waters.
Crews are asking anyone with information about Haigh’s location or welfare to come forward. 
“If anyone is out there and they do see anything at all, retrieve it and give it to one of our rescue vessels,” Marine Rescue NSW’s John Murray said. 
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