A LARGE-SCALE air and sea search operation is took place off the Fishguard coast following the mysterious disappearance of a man on a solo boating trip.

The search, which began at 3:00pm on Friday (Nov 1), has seen Coastguard helicopters and search vessels combing the area for signs of Chris Ellery, who was last in contact on Wednesday, October 30.

Family members have taken to social media in a desperate plea for assistance in locating Chris, who is known to be an experienced and well-prepared sailor. His daughter, Kenzie Ellery, shared a heartfelt post on Facebook, describing her father as “always very prepared” for potential challenges at sea, and expressed deep concern that no communication has been possible since Wednesday.

Dyfed Powys Police said: “We have been involved in a multi-agency search throughout the day for a man reported missing and believed to be in the Fishguard area.”

The police told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “A call was received from colleagues at Avon and Somerset Police at just before 10.20am today (Friday, November 1) requesting assistance in locating the man who was known to be visiting the area on Wednesday, October 30.

“Concerns were raised when he failed to return home yesterday.”

Personal belongings discovered

According to reports, police and Coastguard teams discovered some of Ellery’s belongings on a secluded cove accessible only by boat, intensifying efforts in this remote area. Despite locating personal items, there has been no sign of his boat or any further trace of the missing man himself. Kenzie revealed that her father was due to return home by midday on Thursday, October 31, but contact ceased shortly after he set off on his journey.

Public plea for assistance

Kenzie’s Facebook post included a photo of the small boat her father was last seen on, and she urged local residents along the coastline to stay vigilant and report any unusual sightings immediately. She mentioned that her father had an AirTag device with him, which last signalled in the sea near Fishguard. She noted that friends and family in Bristol have limited ability to assist physically but are sharing the information widely in the hope it reaches those closer to the search area.

In her appeal, Kenzie wrote: “We all need him to be home, and we pray that he is safe. Please share this post—we need him to be safe and home as soon as possible.”

Ongoing rescue efforts

The coastguard operation is expected to continue on Saturday, with helicopters again making repeated passes over the Fishguard coastline and nearby sea. Aviation enthusiasts reported sightings of search aircraft involved in the operation on Friday.

Dyfed Powys Police said that its officers were deployed in the operation, “with land and sea-based searches carried out throughout the day”.

At one point early on Friday evening there were reportedly five RNLI lifeboats involved in the operation, including both in-shore and all-weather vessels.

The FPV (Fisheries Patrol Vessel) Rhodri Morgan and FPV Gwenllian are also in the area but it is unclear if they were also involved in the search, which was postponed due to it getting dark at 7.20pm.

Police and Coastguard authorities are urging residents along the Fishguard coastline to remain alert and report any potential sightings or evidence of the missing boater.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the police.