Czech yachtsman ‘may have hit trouble off Moray’

A YACHTSMAN who has been missing for almost a month after he and his boat disappeared from a harbour on the Moray Firth coast may have got into difficulties at sea, the detective heading the search said today.

Mr Mican disappeared last month. Picture: Police Scotland

Antonin Mican, 32, a Czech national who lives in the Banff area, was last seen during the evening of Friday 11 October at Gardenstown Harbour on board his yacht.

Police Scotland officers are investigating reports that Mr Mican may have intended to sail to Wick in his yacht, the “Swallow Tail”, a 22ft long blue and white Jaguar 22 with one outboard engine.

The force today announced that Police Scotland has now joined up with the missing person’s charity, Missing People, as they continue their search for the missing sailor.

Detective Inspector Norman Stevenson, who is leading the search, said: “We have had a good response from members of the public so far, but as time goes on and Mr Mican is yet to be traced we are becoming increasingly anxious about his safety and the fact he may well have gotten into difficulty out at sea.”

He continued: “We are working in partnership with the National Missing Person’s Bureau and the missing person’s charity, Missing People in a bid to glean new information about his whereabouts, but time is of the essence.

“It appears that this boat is Mican’s only form of transport and he could have stopped anywhere along the coastline. If anybody believes they have any information or may have seen him or the boat, I would urge them to get in touch with us and we can evaluate it on an individual basis, as it may be vital to the on-going search”

He added: “I would also appeal to Mr Mican himself to come forward if he is out on the seas or on land and sees the concern for him. I would urge him to call the police and let us know that he is safe and well so that we can inform his family.”

In a renewed appeal to the public to help trace Mr Mican, officers will distribute a poster of the 32-year-old at ports around the North east on Wednesday.

Said Det Insp Stevenson: “We hope that these posters, which we will be distributing along the North-east coastline and further afield, will jog somebody’s memory if they have seen him.”

Mr Mican is described as 5ft 8ins tall, of slim build, with short black hair, green eyes and a tanned complexion.