The Tribune

SEARCHERS, accompanied by divers and sniffer dogs, last night ended the seventh day of a fruitless search for a retired lawyer who disappeared May 5 on a kayaking trip to a nearby cay.

“We have combed the bed of the sea floor, scoured the trails and beaches from Jaws Beach to Blackbeard’s steps without a trace,” said one of the divers.

“All we found was his yellow kayak up on a ledge in the back of a cave near Blackbeard’s steps at Clifton Pier. No trace of his camera, his binoculars or his oars, and certainly not of him. It is indeed a mystery.”

Anthony (Tony) Hepburn, 72, who had retired after 40 years with the law firm of Graham Thompson & Co, was a keen birdwatcher. It is believed that he left Jaws Beach at about 8am to photograph nesting birds at Goulding Cay. Worker at Jaws Beach said they saw a man launch a kayak, headed for Goulding Cay. Two hours later, a woman walking her dog saw a yellow kayak on the beach just around the point from Jaws Beach.

During the week, family, volunteers, sniffer dogs, helicopters and members of the Defence Force and BASRA joined in the search. The search continues today with posters going up asking the public to come forward with any information that they might have.