Grave fears for Aussie Craig Laidley who vanished off a Bali beach after saving a swimmer- as his family issue a harrowing plea
A desperate search continues for a missing Australian man who was swept out to sea after heroically saving the life of a distressed swimmer on a Bali beach.
Craig Laidley, 56, was walking on Tabanan’s Balian Beach, in the south of the island, at around 4.30pm on Wednesday when he came across a German swimmer calls for help.
The Perth man rescued 29-year-old Micro Stalla, but was then swept away by the powerful current.
More than 24 hours later, the search for Mr Laidley continues.
“Last night our team tried to search for the victim by combing the mainland and today the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office deployed 10 people across land and sea,” said I Nyoman Sidakarya, head of the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office.
A joint team, dressed in bright orange, used dinghies to search for Mr Laidley within a 10km radius of where he was last seen, scouring the coastline on foot.
“Gulf conditions are currently extreme and the search is being conducted across the country,” Sidakarya added.
A concerned relative of Mr Laidley shared a poster online calling on locals and other tourists in the area to help in the search.
Craig Laidley (pictured left with former boxer Danny Green) is still missing
Laidley Craig Stewart went missing in Bali on Wednesday after rescuing a distressed German swimmer
Mr Laidley was walking on Balian Beach in Tabanan when he heard the German swimmer calling for help at around 4.15pm.
It is understood Mr Laidley had been staying at a villa near the beach prior to his disappearance on Wednesday
He recalled Mr Laidley swimming out to save the swimmer before he was swept away by the current.
“He was then seen floating back out to the ocean after saving this man’s life,” Jayk Laidley wrote.
Local fishing boats have reportedly been assisting authorities in the ongoing search.
However, the sea operation was disrupted by “extreme wave conditions,” Sidakarya said.
The joint team, dressed in bright orange, used dinghies to search for Mr Laidley within a 10km radius of where he was last seen and scoured the coastline on foot.
Mr Laidley was reported missing to police at around 5pm after rescuing the German swimmer at around 4.15pm.
It is understood Mr Laidley was staying in a villa near the beach.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian national reported missing in Indonesia.
“Due to our privacy obligations, we are unable to comment further,” a spokesperson said.