TEENAGERS who may have camped on McBrides Beach on the night Forster man Peter Cooke went missing have been urged to contact police.
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Witnesses stated there were a number of teenage boys in the car park above McBrides Beach on Saturday April 5 and they were spotted carrying camping equipment, which could have indicated they intended to camp in the area.
Mr Cooke, 54, went missing between 10pm on April 5 and 11am on April 6 and police hold grave fears for his safety. He was reported missing by a friend when he failed to return home.
An image of Mr Cooke’s car has been released. Police are appealing for anyone who was near the beach on Saturday night to call Forster Detectives on 6555 1299 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Police are working to establish a timeline on his disappearance.
Police divers found a number of Mr Cooke’s personal items, including a wallet, in searches held earlier this week.
Mr Cooke was believed to have left his home on Saturday afternoon and driven to the beach near the Cape Hawke lookout. A search began at about 2pm on Sunday.
From Wednesday April 9: A LAND and sea search for missing Forster man Peter Cooke has been suspended.
An officer from the Manning-Great Lakes Local Area Command said the search was being 'reviewed' and he confirmed that police divers located a number of his personal items including a wallet yesterday.
Police began search efforts around McBrides Beach on Sunday after Mr Cooke was reported missing by a friend when he failed to return home and could not be located or contacted.
The 54-year-old is believed to have left his home on Saturday afternoon and driven to McBrides Beach near the Cape Hawke lookout.
Search efforts began at about 2pm on Sunday with volunteers from Cape Hawke Surf Life Saving Club spending the afternoon assisting Marine Rescue and police to search the area.
Authorities initially thought Mr Cooke may have been rock fishing after his car was found parked and locked near McBrides Beach with fishing gear nearby but this has not been confirmed.
Police were forced to call the search off late on Sunday afternoon due to poor visibility but it resumed at 7am on Monday with police assisted by crews from the NSW State Emergency Service (SES).
Manning-Great Lakes Local Area Command Inspector Neil Stevens said an extensive land and sea search resumed at 8am Tuesday.
“We have water police, Polair, SES and police divers as well as surf life saving involved in the search today (Tuesday),” Inspector Stevens said.
“We are anticipating that the land search will wrap up today but we will just have to wait and see how it all goes.”
The news comes not long after a Port Macquarie man’s body was found after he was swept off rocks near Lighthouse Beach while rock fishing on Sunday, April 6.
The 46-year-old man’s body was found in the water about 1km north of Miners Beach at about 3.30pm on Sunday.
Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen Mr Cooke or might know of his whereabouts to come forward.
He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, approximately 173cm tall with a thin build and dark, balding hair. If you have any information phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.