Family’s plea after boatie goes missing

The family of a man who has been missing since Saturday have issued a heartfelt statement saying they were “deeply grateful for the overwhelming support” they had received.

Luke Smith, 23, was with friends when a boat they were travelling in on Lake Macquarie flipped in the water and capsized near Channel St, Swansea, about 20km south of Newcastle.

The alarm was raised about 8pm and when police arrived three men had been pulled from the water, but Mr Smith was still missing.

Footage of the night-time rescue shows fully clothed men being pulled from the dark water onto a dinghy.

Chris Totten was with his friends when they heard about the boat crash and jumped in their dinghy to go help the men.

“(We) got told there was one more, tried our best to look for him for a good hour and a half (to) two hours but there was just no sign of him,” Mr Totten told 9 News.

Two of the men rescued Saturday night are aged 23, the other is 20 years old.

Paramedics took one of the men to hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

It’s understood the boat struck a buoy before the four men were thrown from their vessel.

Mr Smith’s family said they extended their heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers, emergency services, boaters, and members of the Lake Macquarie community who have dedicated their time and resources to the search efforts.

“Your compassion and willingness to help have provided us with strength and hope,” the family said.

“As the search continues, we urge everyone to prioritise boating safety.

“It is crucial to wear life jackets and adhere to safety guidelines on the water. Particularly in the Swansea Channel and surrounding waters, which can be hazardous, we implore boaters to exercise caution.

“We haven’t lost hope and we won’t give up, and we ask those on the water or near the coast to keep an eye out for anything that might assist in the search.

“We appreciate your understanding in respecting our need for space and time to focus on supporting each other and finding Luke.”

Emergency services have searched for the 23-year-old man thrown into Lake Macquarie when his boat capsized on Saturday night.

The alarm was raised about 8pm Saturday when it was reported a small boat had flipped in the water near Channel St, Swansea, about 20km south of Newcastle.

When police arrived three men had been pulled from the water, but 23-year-old Luke Smith was still missing.

Footage of the night-time rescue shows fully clothed men being pulled from the dark water onto a dinghy.

Chris Totten was with his friends when they heard about the boat crash and jumped in their dinghy to go help the men.

“(We) got told there was one more, tried our best to look for him for a good hour and a half (to) two hours but there was just no sign of him,” Mr Totten told 9 News.

Two of the men rescued Saturday night are aged 23, the other is 20 years old.

Paramedics took one of the men to hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

It’s understood the boat struck a buoy before the four men were thrown from their vessel.

The police Marine Area Command, police and Westpac Rescue helicopters and Fire and Rescue NSW all scoured the area, but the search was suspended because of poor light on Saturday.

The search resumed on Sunday with emergency services still unable to find Mr Smith at time of publication.