Fears former Narrabri man
taken by a shark at Perth beach
By
Fairfax Media and AAP - Northern Daily Leader
FEARS that a former Narrabri man missing from a Perth beach was taken by a
shark continued to grow yesterday as search efforts went on but failed to find
any sign of him.
Martin Tann's parents, Narrabri couple Colin and Marie Tann, were
understood to be on their way west and expected to arrive in Perth yesterday.
Late yesterday police were scaling back the sea and land search for Mr
Tann and said they were keeping an open mind about where he might be.
While it had not been confirmed if Mr Tann, 24, even entered the water
before disappearing on Tuesday, Senior Sergeant Peter Trivett told ABC Radio
yesterday morning that a shark attack could not be ruled out.
A shark attack could be more likely after a witness came forward late on
Wednesday to confirm Mr Tann was swimming in waist-deep water shortly before he
was reported missing.
Water Police, local police, SES volunteers and surf lifesavers resumed
their hunt for Mr Tann yesterday morning.
Water Police Acting Senior Constable Barney Hutchison told ABC Radio the
search team was still hopeful.
"There were no real shark sightings in the area, but the possibility is
something we have to consider. What we hope is that we have a good outcome,"
Senior Constable Hutchison said.
The section of water where Mr Tann went missing from was the same area a
shark took a bite out of a surf ski last year.
In the past couple of years Western Australia has been deemed the "shark
attack capital of the world", following five fatal attacks in the past 19
months.
On Wednesday, as searchers scoured the coast from air, land and sea, Surf
Life Saving WA reported shark sightings off Fremantle, Ocean Reef, Leighton's
Beach and Clayton Beach.
In June 2012 Martin Kane was tipped into the water by a three-metre shark
at Mullaloo Beach when it launched at his surf ski.
He had been paddling with a group of friends about 150 metres offshore at
the time.
Mr Kane tried to scare away the shark by throwing his paddle at it and was
plucked to safety by a friend who paddled him to shore.
Mr Tann is understood to have gone to Mullaloo Beach about 1pm on Tuesday,
but from there police are not sure what happened.
Sea search for missing man
Martin Tann, 24, called off
AAP
April 06, 20131:21PM
THE marine search for the man missing from Mullaloo Beach since
Tuesday has been called off, without finding any trace of him.
Searchers have been at the beach since NSW man Martin Tann, 24, an
experienced diver and swmmer, was reported missing on Tuesday night.
Authorities cannot rule out that he was taken be a shark.
However Mr Tann's family said on Friday that they remained hopeful
that he will be found alive.
Police began scaling back the sea and land search for Mr Tann on Thursday
after he went missing on Tuesday, and said the possibility of a shark attack
could not be ruled out.
But on Friday, police issued a joint statement from Mr Tann's family saying
they would continue the search until all possible avenues were exhausted.
``An extensive search and rescue operation continues to be conducted,
however so far, no evidence has been recovered,'' police said.
``Marty is a friendly, outgoing and gregarious person.
``His family find it extremely difficult to think that he could disappear
without a trace.''
Family and friends have flown interstate to help with the search, and remain
confident Mr Tann will be found alive and well, police said.
Mr Tann's clothes and belongings were found abandoned on a Perth beach on
Tuesday.
A witness came forward late on Wednesday to confirm Mr Tann was swimming in
waist-deep water shortly before he was reported missing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Martyn Tann's mother Maree and father Colin made an emotional
appeal for anyone with information about their son's whereabouts to come
forward.
The 24-year-old was on holiday in Perth, staying with his uncle
in Mullaloo and was last seen entering the water about 1pm on April 2.
"We are hopeful that ongoing investigations will bring Martin
home to us," Mr Tann said.
"He's a very strong swimmer, at home in the ocean, it is
therefore difficult to accept that he is got to grief in the water."
The couple are at a loss to explain their son's disappearance.
"Anything's possible," Mr Tann said.
"It's a big mystery, where the hell is he."
Mr Tann said the searchers, who completed an extensive land, air
and sea search across a number of days would have found his son if he had
come to grief in the water.
He said police and searchers had left no stone unturned and
thanked them for efforts.
"People have been suggesting that maybe a
shark [had taken him], there's nothing to support that and dolphins were
seen around the area he was swimming, and we'd suggest a large predator
would scare the dolphins away," he said.
The couple said they had no idea where their son could be.
"How can a person just disappear?"
Mr Tann said his son was not the type of person to vanish for
periods of time without contacting family.
He said the family were coping the best they could.
"We have our ups and downs; we're clinging on with hope," he
said.
Mr Tann said Martyn's uncle Trevor, who he had been staying
with, had been at the beach searching every day since his nephew went
missing.
"It's been very tough, particularly for Trevor," he said.
"Any piece of information could be vital in solving Martin's
disappearance."
He asked anyone who has any information on his son's whereabouts
to call Crime Stopper on 1800 333 000.
Martyn, who is originally from New South Wales had come to Perth
after eight months of travelling and planned to head to Broome to work, earn
money and then start another adventure in Europe.
Family cling to hope for missing man Martyn Tann, 24
THE family of a NSW man who went missing at Mullaloo beach nine days
ago are clinging to hope that he is still alive and have urged anyone with
information about his disappearance to come forward.
Martyn Tann, 24, an experienced diver and swimmer has not been seen since he
went swimming at Mullaloo beach about 2pm on April 2.
Exhaustive searches for the adventurous young man have failed to locate him.
He arrived in Perth in March for his uncle’s wedding and had just completed a
mammoth tour of North and South America.
He was planning on getting work in Broome.
“He enjoys life to the full and has an adventurous nature,” his dad Colin Tann
said today.
“His bag and belongings were subsequently found later that afternoon on the sand
where he had been swimming, the bag had apparently been left unattended for some
hours.
“He’s a very strong swimmer…it is therefore difficult for us to accept he has
come to grief in the water.
“The water police had advised (us) that given the conditions and exhaustive
search efforts there was a high probability Martyn would have been found if he
was in the water. We have been watching this, there have been divers, boats,
helicopters, jet skis, helicopters, quad bikes, mounted police and SES
volunteers, they have left no stone un-turned.”
Mr Tann said while the sea search had now been suspended, police were continuing
to investigate whether his son left the beach at some stage.
“People have been suggesting a shark but there is nothing to support that,” Mr
Tann added.
“How can a person just disappear off the face?
“We are clinging on to hope, it’s been over a week now, we’re very conscious of
that and nothing can be ruled out.”
Martyn’s mum Maree said her son was a physically strong young man, confident and
very trusting.
“People get to know him very easily, he just seems to have this aura about him,
he is just not someone who slides under the radar,” she said.
Anyone with information about Martyn Tann should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333
000.
Family searches for closure
Barely a day has passed since April 2
that Trevor Tann has not walked on to Mullalloo beach and wondered
what happened to his nephew Martin.
The Tanns will tomorrow spend their first Christmas without
their son, brother and nephew, who went missing from the beach eight
months ago.
WA police say they are still treating the 24-year-old's
disappearance as an active missing persons investigation and are
asking people with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333
000.
It is some comfort for a tight-knit family who refuse to give
up hope that Martin Tann may still come home.
"It's times like Christmas you feel it," Trevor said. "There's
a saying, where there's life there's hope and I guess where there's
hope, there's life.
"We only want good closure."
An experienced beachgoer and keen diver who studied marine
biology, Martin had been in a jovial mood as he left his uncle's
house alone on the day he went missing. About 3.15pm, a kite surfer
noticed Martin's unattended bag on the beach about 1km north of the
Mullaloo Surf Club.
When the kite surfer returned to shore two hours later he saw
the bag still there and told lifesavers. An onlooker later told
police he had seen Martin, from Narrabri in NSW, swimming in
waist-deep water shortly before he was reported missing.
Martin had been travelling abroad for eight months before
returning home for his uncle's wedding, which became something of a
major family reunion.
Less than a fortnight later, he disappeared from the beach
where the family had spent the previous few days together.
Trevor said the family had considered the possibility Martin
could have been the victim of a shark attack, but were not ready to
concede any fatal conclusions.
He had not seen anything in his nephew's demeanour to suggest
anything was wrong.
"It leaves you wondering, it's the same beach I've been
swimming at for 20 years," Trevor said.
"I go there nearly every day, but I obviously know he's not
just going to come out of the water after eight months."
Trevor said his elder brother Colin and wife Marie had taken
an overseas trip to help deal with the mysterious loss of their son.
"It's been a traumatic year of highs and lows, unbelievably
tough for his mum and dad and brother and sister," he said.
"It's hard to describe, but you just have to deal with it and
his parents are pretty stoic and pretty realistic, down-to-earth
people. We're a close family so you really feel for them."
