Peter Riordan has been missing since Friday. Photo: Police Media
FRIENDS of a Boggabri man missing for five days say his disappearance is concerning and "out of character" for the 72-year-old fisherman.
Peter Riordan was last seen at about 3.30pm on Friday (September 28 2012) when he returned to his home at Boggabri Caravan Park after attending a friend's funeral.
Barwon Local Area Command police said the three-day search was now entering an investigative stage and said the missing grandfather had not accessed his credit cards or bank funds in the days before his disappearance.
Mr Riordan was reported missing on Sunday (30 September 2012) when he hadn't returned from a planned fishing trip on the Namoi River.
More than 20 SES volunteers, Barwon Local Area Command police and the police air-wing, Polair were called in to search along the banks of the river for Mr Riordan on Monday (October 1 2012) and called off the search late that day without success.
A search was also made of known fishing holes in the area.
Boggabri man Trevor Donnelly said that he had known Mr Riordan for years and he was just a happy-go-lucky man who loved his fishing, travelling to various fishing spots around the area a couple of times a week.
Mr Donnelly said the pensioner would normally tell his neighbours at the caravan park to look after his plants if he was going away for more than a night, and he would also take his camping trailer to sleep in.
"But he didn't ask anyone this time," Mr Donnelly said, and the 72-year-old's camping trailer is still parked outside his caravan, just 500metres from the Namoi River, where most of the weekend search was centred.
"I'm worried about him, I want him to come back alive but it doesn't look good," Mr Donnelly said.
Brian Fuller, a Boggabri Caravan Park resident and neighbour to Mr Riordan, said that after attending a funeral and wake at the Boggabri Bowling Club, Mr Riordan had told several people that he planned on going fishing that night.
"Last thing I heard was that he rang a mate of his on Friday night, saying he was out fishing and asked whether a storm was coming," Mr Fuller said.
A storm struck Boggabri on Friday evening with 14mm of rain falling, raising the Namoi River's level and making it difficult for searchers to find where Mr Riordan might have camped.
"It was raining pretty heavy that night, whether he got stuck in the river I don't know," Mr Fuller said.
Mr Fuller said the pensioner had moved to Boggabri from Gunnedah several years ago after the break-up of his marriage and was well known in town.
Saying he was a good friend and neighbour, Mr Fuller said the pensioner would sometimes get a bit lonely living on his own.
"He lost his mum at Christmas time last year and he was quite upset about that," Mr Fuller said.
Mr Riordan has a daughter and a son who both live in Canberra, and had recently become a grandfather.
"People that know him are terribly worried about him, it's just not him."
Mr Riordan is described as being of Caucasian appearance, 180cm tall with a slim build, brown hair and hazel/green eyes.
There have been no sightings of his vehicle, described as a 1993-model silver Toyota Land Cruiser with NSW registration plates AI 70 WB.
Insp Chinnery said concerns are held for Mr Riordan's welfare.
"Best-case scenario is that Mr Riordan is with friends or fishing at a location he is not known to frequent and doesn't realise there is a large-scale search now underway."
Anyone who has any information about the missing man, his whereabouts, or the vehicle, should call Moree Police on 02 6752 9499 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
