Search for Husband and Father, 44, Who Went Missing While Fishing Continues After His Boat Was Found Unmanned

Ashley “Ash” Haigh is described by friends as being an “experienced fisherman”

Ash Haigh.Credit : Ash Haigh/Facebook

NEED TO KNOW

Rescuers are searching for a man in Australia who went

issing during what was supposed to be a day-long fishing trip
Ashley “Ash” Haigh, 44, was last seen the morning of Thursday, Feb. 5
His boat was found unmanned on Friday, Feb. 6

The search for a missing Australian man who disappeared while fishing has intensified after authorities located his boat — without anyone inside it.

Ashley “Ash” Haigh, 44, was last seen on his boat the morning of Thursday, Feb. 5, in the waters off the Gold Coast, per local news outlet 9 News. He was officially reported missing when his vessel did not return by about 7 p.m. local time that day.

His boat was found seven hours later near the suburb of Burleigh in the early morning hours of Friday, Feb. 6, per 9 News and News 7.

Ash Haigh.Ash Haigh/Facebook

Police stated that one of the vessel’s life jackets was missing when the boat was found, but they cannot confirm whether Haigh was wearing it at the time of his disappearance, per News 9.

The Queensland Police Service and New South Wales Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’S request for comment on Saturday, Feb. 7.

The Marine Rescue of New South Wales stated that they are currently assisting “in the search for a missing boater after an overdue vessel was located off the Gold Coast with no one on board,” in a media release shared on Saturday.

They added that they had deployed three of their vessels and 12 volunteers to assist authorities in the “multiagency search.” “Ash is a local friend of the fishing community, president of the local Gold Coast game fish club. Well-renowned fisherman, skipper, father, husband,” Andrew Dunbar, a longtime friend of Haigh, told News 9.

Dunbar additionally described Haigh as “an experienced fisherman.”

The Gold Coast Game Fish Club shared a message of support for both Haigh and his family in a Feb. 7 Facebook post.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

“The Gold Coast Game Fish Club want to extend our support to Ash’s family right at the moment, and we ask that you all hope and pray for the safe return of our mate. Rest assured that the search efforts undertaken to date are nothing short of extraordinary,” they wrote.

“Come home safe, Ash,” they added.

The phone has gone silent.

Investigators are attempting to recover Ash Haigh’s last mobile ping, focusing on a narrow offshore zone where reception briefly dropped out. This chilling detail has become a focal point in the desperate search for the 44-year-old Queensland father and renowned game fisherman, who vanished during what was meant to be a routine solo fishing trip off Australia’s Gold Coast.

On Thursday, February 5, 2026, Ashley “Ash” Haigh set out from The Spit on the Gold Coast just after 6:30 a.m. Aboard his black half-cabin boat, known as the Grey Ghost, he headed into deeper waters, reportedly chasing marlin—a passion that had earned him respect as a former president and active member of the Gold Coast Game Fish Club. Conditions that day were calm, ideal for offshore fishing, with no immediate signs of trouble. Haigh, described by friends as experienced, skilled, and safety-conscious, intended to return home that evening to join his family for dinner.

But as the hours passed and darkness fell, concern grew. Haigh failed to return by around 7 p.m., prompting loved ones to report him overdue. Water police attempted radio contact without success. In the early hours of Friday, February 6—around 2 a.m.—his unmanned vessel was discovered drifting approximately 46 km (about 25 nautical miles) offshore near Burleigh Heads. The boat appeared intact, with no immediate evidence of foul play or accident, yet Haigh was nowhere aboard.

The discovery triggered an immediate large-scale search operation involving Queensland Police, water police, volunteer vessels, aircraft, and helicopters. Friends and fellow fishermen joined the effort, with dozens scouring the ocean in a race against time. The search quickly expanded across state lines into New South Wales waters, reflecting the drifting currents and the vastness of the search area.

As investigators pieced together Haigh’s final movements, attention turned to his mobile phone. Reports indicate that authorities have been working to retrieve data from the device’s last known signal—a brief ping in a narrow offshore zone where coverage is spotty at best. Mobile network pings, when available, can provide critical triangulation data, showing approximate location based on the nearest cell towers (often offshore via maritime extensions or coastal sites). In this case, the signal reportedly dropped out, leaving a frustrating gap. “His phone, we haven’t been able to locate, but it’s believed it was in the boat somewhere. He may have it on him,” one report noted early in the investigation.

This silent phone has fueled speculation and hope. A last ping could indicate Haigh was still on or near the vessel at a certain point, or perhaps it captured a moment of distress. Investigators are likely collaborating with telecom providers to access call logs, data usage, or even partial tower handshakes. In maritime disappearances, such digital breadcrumbs often narrow vast ocean grids.

Adding to the mystery, search teams made a concerning discovery on Saturday, February 7: an inactive Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) registered to Haigh was located floating about 14 nautical miles (roughly 25 km) off Ballina in northern New South Wales. EPIRBs are designed to activate automatically in emergencies (or manually) and transmit distress signals via satellite. The device being found inactive and detached raises questions—did it deploy accidentally, or was it separated during an incident? No other personal items or signs of life have been reported nearby.

By Sunday, February 8, authorities shifted the operation into a “recovery phase,” acknowledging the grim reality after days of intensive searching without positive sightings. Queensland Police confirmed no further signs of Haigh despite exhaustive efforts. Premier David Crisafulli described the situation as “a real tragedy,” highlighting the community’s shock.

Haigh leaves behind a devastated family, including a wife and children. His wife’s emotional plea circulated online: “Please… bring him home. Our children need their dad.” Friends remember him as the “backbone” of the local fishing scene—a dedicated family man, husband, and skipper who lived for the water.

The Gold Coast and broader fishing community remain in mourning. Tributes on social media and from clubs emphasize his expertise and warmth. One longtime friend, Andrew Dunbar, who spoke with Haigh the night before his trip, said: “Our hope is that we find Ash.” He noted the favorable conditions, underscoring the baffling nature of the disappearance.

Offshore fishing carries inherent risks—sudden weather shifts, equipment failure, medical events, or falls overboard—even for veterans. Without witnesses or recovered evidence, the exact cause remains unknown. Authorities continue monitoring currents and may resume targeted searches based on new data.

The silent phone serves as a haunting reminder of how quickly a routine day on the water can turn tragic. As the investigation persists, the focus on that final ping underscores technology’s role in modern search-and-rescue efforts, offering a slim thread of hope amid heartbreak.