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ABC News
ABC News
National
Christien de Garis

Authorities scour sea, air and land for rock fisherman missing in WA

The 25-year-old went missing while fishing on the rocks at Warrenup Beach.

Police divers have arrived from Perth and joined the search for missing 25-year-old Thomas Rae who disappeared while rock fishing in a remote corner of Western Australia.

Mr Rae was fishing with a friend on Sunday at Warrenup Beach, about an hour-and-a-half's drive west of Esperance on Western Australia's south coast.

A large swell was running, and police suspected the popular Esperance local was swept into the ocean.

Mr Rae's friend alerted police when he left his fishing mate for a short time — when he returned he could not find Mr Rae.

A large sea, land and air search was triggered, and volunteers and emergency services worked until it grew too dark to see.

This morning the search started again with two volunteer marine rescue boats joined by a Department of Fisheries boat, jet skis from the local surf club, a helicopter and a large number of volunteers.

Police divers arrived with a drone operator to continue the search just after noon on Monday.

Emergency services are being helped by a drop in the swell, but police said the location was hard to get to and only accessible by 4WD and boat.

The search has once again been suspended due to poor visability and will resume at first light on Tuesday.

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