Police seek relatives of locals lost at sea 80 years ago
Police are wanting to contact relatives of five local fishermen, who were lost at sea almost 80 years ago.
The fishing vessels "Joyce" from Woy Woy and "Syd" from Patonga, with a total of 11 people on board, are believed to have struck adverse weather on Saturday, May 15, 1948, and did not return.
Despite extensive searches at the time, neither vessel nor those on board have ever been located.
Police said they remained hopeful DNA from relatives of the 11 fishermen could one day bring their loved ones home.
To date, six relatives of the fisherman have provided their DNA to police.
Police are appealing for the relatives of Neville Walters, Norman Eric Lester, Brian Morris Parsons, Robert Hayes and Peter Proudfoot to come forward to provide a DNA sample.
The appeal is part of this year's "Forever Loved" Missing Persons Week 2025.
In May 2020, a human jawbone was found on Umina Beach.
The jawbone was since been identified as belonging to Henry Coleman, who died aged 17 following an accidental drowning in August 1980,
Missing Persons Registry manager Detective Inspector Paul Fenwick said DNA samples collected could assist in identifying the remains of those lost at sea.
"There are currently 352 unidentified bodies and human remains that were located in different areas throughout New South Wales.
"DNA samples from the families of these missing fishermen will be compared against those remains and stored securely for future reference," Det Insp Fenwick said.
"Even after all these years, we continue to recover remains along the coastline.
"That DNA will continue to be tested against these discoveries.
"This is not just about solving a case.
"It's about recognising the lives lost and giving families the answers after nearly 80 years.
"We're appealing to anyone who may be related to these men - even distantly - to come forward and provide a DNA sample."
Marine area commander Superintendent Joseph McNulty said: "While the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the Joyce and the Syd remain unknown, we know the ocean can conceal evidence for many years.
"When remains are recovered, having DNA from family members already on file allows us to act quickly and accurately in identifying them."
On board the Joyce were seven work colleagues from the Nielsen Slipper Factory in Woy Woy: Norman Eric Lester, 21, Brian Morris Parsons, 56, Robert Hayes, 30, Peter Proudfoot, 24, Berty Cyril Law, 37, Norman John Tolley, 25 and Arthur Bowyer, 41.
The "Syd" was carrying four people: Hugh Murray, 41, Cecil Aubrey Murray, 43, Neville Walters, 35, and Brian Murray, 14.
More information is available online at www.missingpersons.gov.au
SOURCE:
Social media, 3 Aug 2025
NSW Central Coast Incident Alerts