Former Australian Radio Host Roman Butchaski Missing After Solo Fishing Trip in ‘Known Croc Country’

Butchaski was last seen at 8 a.m. on Sunday

An Australian man has been missing for two days after embarking on a solo fishing trip.

Roman Butchaski, a former radio host with Australian channel 2GB, embarked on a “solo fishing trip in Cape York peninsula on Sunday afternoon” and “a major search and rescue operation is now underway,” 2GB radio host Ben Fordham said on his breakfast show Monday.

Fordham spoke to another Australian journalist looking into the case, Country Caller's Harry Clarke, during Monday’s program, who said that Butchaski “was last seen at 8 a.m. on Sunday.”

Air and land searches have been underway for the last two days, Clarke said. So far, a few of Butchaski's belongings have been found left on the banks of the Olive River in North Queensland.

“He’d borrowed a side-by-side buggy from a friend,” Clarke shared of the findings so far. “And traveled about an hour to go fishing along the banks of the Olive River and all that they’ve found of Butch is that vehicle with a few personal effects such as a fishing rod… And he hasn’t been seen since.”

When Fordham asked about the known crocodile presence in the waterways where Butchaski was last seen, Clarke said, “The Olive river is a tidal, salt-water river, and like all waterways in that area, they’re known crocodile habitats so that’s certainly one of the things that search crews are taking into consideration.”

Related: Australian Man Survives Crocodile Attack by Biting Back: Report

A spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Science (DES) told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that there is “no evidence that a crocodile is involved in this incident,” though they noted the risk in the area.

"Olive River is known croc country and people in the area are reminded to be crocwise in every choice."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Butchaski is the former host of a fishing show about angling. His former cohost, Gavin Pitchford, told Fordham on Monday’s program that his former co-host also has diabetes. Pitchford said he’s worried Butchaski could have “suffered some kind of episode.”

He said in a statement, “I'm devastated. Butchy walks the banks up there regularly. He's been fishing there forever.”

Related: Snorkeler Fights Off Crocodile After it Clamps Jaws On His Head: ‘I Thought It Was a Shark’

On Tuesday, police called in more officers to the northern peninsula to assist in the search for the former radio host, who is in his 60s, the BBC reported.

Though the area is known to be home to crocodiles, Queensland Police Senior Sgt. Duane Amos said that Butchaski is familiar with the area as he frequently fished there before, according to the outlet.

"He was well-prepared for a normal expedition that he has undertaken before," Amos said on Monday.

Per Australian broadcast channel ABC, Amos described Butchaski as “an avid fisherman” with “familiarity” of the region he was visiting.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.