But after more than four days, even those who are desperately looking for him are not optimistic.

“I don’t even know what to think. I cried so many times, ”said his older brother Martin, who helped organize the search efforts from his home in Karratha, Western Australia.

“We’re just trying to organize as many boats and divers as possible to cover as much area as possible. These guys are just legends.

The family, which raised more than $ 55,000 through an online fundraising appeal for the search and rescue offering, also twice this week leased a plane from Padang for $ 13,730 per day to search for Daly from the air.

Daly had been sleeping with a host family in the town of Katiet since arriving in the Mentawai Islands last week and had ventured out on his own spearfishing in a boat on Saturday.

The seabed in the area where he fished is about 15 meters below the surface. But the depth increases dramatically nearby and because Daly wore a weight belt, a common piece of equipment for experienced harpoon fishermen, there were concerns that he would pass out and the strong current would descend much deeper.

The search mission spanned 50 nautical miles east of Sipora Island and 25 nautical miles west into the Indian Ocean.

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Tim Everingham, an Australian who operates a surf rental company in Padang and who was on board the Eltherington boat during the search, said another group of divers were arriving from Padang on Thursday to scour the seabed where Daly was last seen.

The youngest of four brothers, Daly lived in Cairns, where he worked in the fishing industry, but was a regular visitor to Indonesia and had been based in Nusa Lembongan, an island south-east of Bali, after being unable to return to Australia during the pandemic.

His brother Martin said Daly was finally able to secure a seat on a flight back to Australia in November.

The UK Embassy in Jakarta is coordinating with Basarnas as Daly is a UK national.

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