Men missing off SA reportedly found alive after four-day search

MISSING MEN: SA Police have named the men missing in waters south of Port Lincoln as Tony Higgins and Derek Robinson, both of Goolwa.

Two men feared dead after going missing in waters off the South Australian coast a week ago are reportedly alive.

Tony Higgins, 57, and Derek Robinson, 48, left Coffin Bay on the Eyre Peninsula in a 10-metre wooden-hulled fishing boat called the Margrel, bound for Goolwa last Thursday.

The boat named 'Margrel', hull identification number RF83S, was bound for Goolwa but could have headed to Kangaroo Island with engine trouble. Photo SA Police

They reported engine trouble to a friend on Friday night saying they were going to divert to Kangaroo Island.

When no more was heard from the men, the friend raised the alarm on Sunday, prompting a large-scale aerial search covering more than 103,000 square kilometres.

SA Police only called off the search around 8pm on Wednesday night.

But early on Thursday police made contact with the men, who told officers they were at at Salt Creek, southeast of Adelaide, the ABC reported.

The search had covered 103,000 square kilometres by Wednesday morning after the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Royal Australian Air Force and Kangaroo Island and Coffin Bay Volunteer Marine Rescue assisted in the search over the past three days.