THE 10:30 AM TIMELINE: SEARCH INTENSIFIES FOR MISSING 39-YEAR-OLD FISHERMAN PATRICK EVANS AS EMPTY BOAT IS FOUND CIRCLING THE MURRAY RIVER

A solo fishing trip near Tocumwal has turned into an urgent search after a witness reportedly heard cries for help and discovered a small boat circling on the water with nobody aboard.

A major search operation is underway along the Murray River near Tocumwal, on the border between New South Wales and Victoria, after 39-year-old Patrick Evans disappeared during a fishing trip.

Police say Evans was last seen at Pebbly Beach campground on the Victorian side of the river at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 16, 2026. Investigators believe he headed out onto the water in a small boat around midday.

When he could not be located or contacted, concerns quickly grew. His family and police are now deeply concerned for his welfare as emergency crews continue searching the river and surrounding areas.

THE MOMENT THAT RAISED THE ALARM

According to police, a witness heard cries for help on Friday and went to investigate.

What the witness reportedly discovered was deeply concerning: a small aluminium-style boat moving in circles on the river, with nobody apparently steering it.

The discovery prompted an urgent response, but the circumstances surrounding Evans’s disappearance remain unclear.

Investigators are working to establish what happened after he left the campground and whether anyone saw him or his boat during the hours that followed.

WHY THE 10:30 A.M. TIMELINE MATTERS

The time Evans was last seen at Pebbly Beach campground provides investigators with an important starting point.

Police believe he went fishing around midday, meaning there is a gap between his last confirmed sighting on land and the time he is thought to have entered the river.

Witness accounts, sightings of the boat and any available information from people in the area could help investigators reconstruct his movements.

However, authorities have not publicly established exactly what happened during that period, and the timeline alone does not explain how he disappeared.

A LARGE SEARCH ACROSS THE RIVER

The search has involved multiple emergency services from both sides of the state border, including NSW Police, Victoria Police, the State Emergency Service, NSW Maritime personnel and police divers.

Air support and drone teams also assisted during the search, while crews concentrated on sections of the river near Tocumwal, including the areas around the Newell Highway Bridge and a nearby railway bridge.

Police have appealed to residents, visitors and anyone who was near the campground or river on Friday to come forward with information that might help establish Evans’s last known movements.

A FAMILY WAITING FOR ANSWERS

Patrick Evans is described as approximately 175 centimetres tall, with a slim build, a brown moustache and beard, and medium-length brown-blond hair.

For his loved ones, the uncertainty surrounding his disappearance is agonising. Police have expressed serious concern for his safety, but the circumstances remain under investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

As the search continues, investigators are hoping that even a small detail from someone who was in the area could help them understand what happened on the Murray River that Friday.