Niël Terblanché
The baffling disappearance of 53-year-old angler Robby Michael, who vanished without a trace from a desolate beach near Mile 72 north of Henties Bay last Saturday night, has turned sinister when members of the Namibian Police arrested a man who was in possession of fishing rods believed to belong to the missing angler.
Michael’s extended-cab Toyota bakkie was discovered partially submerged in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean near Mile 72.
A passerby, who happened upon the scene of a white Toyota bakkie with registration number N 2426 OM, in the sea around 08:45 on Sunday morning, reported the matter to the Namibian Police.
Upon arriving at the scene, police officers encountered the vehicle, although empty, it exhibited severe damage, sparking suspicions of a peculiar sequence of events.
At the time of the strange discovery, Inspector Illeni Shapumba, spokesperson for NamPol in the Erongo RegionPolice, said that it is suspected that the driver had parked near the water line or sea to relax, only for high waves to sweep the vehicle into the sea.
What has compounded the mystery surrounding Michael’s disappearance is the arrest of an individual found in possession of fishing rods believed to belong to the missing angler.
Shapumba said the unnamed man has been detained as a person of interest, as investigators diligently probe into the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of these crucial pieces of evidence.
“We are investigating the manner in which he got hold of the fishing rods. We are still searching for Robby,” Inspector Shapumba said.
According to initial reports, Robby Michael had embarked on a fishing expedition last Saturday, while accompanied by two friends. His companions parted ways with him around 18:00 that evening, leaving him at Mile 72. Subsequently, they made their way back to Henties Bay to sleep.
The events that transpired after this point remain shrouded in uncertainty, prompting the ongoing search and investigation.
With the discovery of his submerged vehicle and the arrest of a person of interest, investigators remain committed to unravelling the enigma surrounding the missing angler.
