A Sydney fishing expert and former radio host who disappeared from the banks of a far north Queensland river may have been taken by a crocodile, police have indicated.
A car which Roman Butchaski used to reach the Olive River from a remote cattle station at Shelburne, on northern Cape York, on Sunday has been found but there are no signs of him.
Butchaski, aged in his 70s, is not believed to have been using a boat and was instead fishing from the banks of the river — a known crocodile habitat.
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He is a visitor to the station. Family and friends raised the alarm when he didn’t return before night fell.
They started searching for him and a rescue helicopter swept the area from above on Sunday evening.
The search recommenced at first light on Monday.
Butchaski’s former co-host Gavin Pitchford told 2GB host Ben Fordham that Butchaski suffers from diabetes, saying “he may have suffered some kind of episode”.
Senior Sergeant Duane Amos on Monday said a “specific area” of the Olive River is being searched for the “avid fisherman”.
“He’d gone to that location fishing. He’d previously gone to that location,” he said.
“The preliminary search last night located the vehicle that the gentleman had gone to the location with.
“When he failed to return at last light last night, that’s when the initial search has been commenced by family and friends.”
Amos said the area was “significantly dense” bushland that is “difficult” to navigate.
He said the prospect of crocs being in the area is a “reasonable expectation”.
“That’s something that the search and rescue co-ordinators would be taking into consideration,” Amos said.
“Certainly it’s a risk for any of our searchers and our emergency services.”
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