A search has been launched for a 52-year-old fisherman after his boat was found empty last night nearly four miles off Bermuda.

Harbour Radio said Marine Police officers, and friends and relatives of the fisherman, had left St. George?s, near Castle Harbour, at about 9 p.m. last night in a bid to find him.

Last night friends of the fisherman told that they did not believe he was able to swim.

Bermuda Police Service press relations officer Dwayne Caines said the blue-hulled 44-foot fishing boat was found, but the fisherman was not on board.

?The man had not returned at his appointed time and his wife got suspicious when her husband hadn?t come home and she alerted the authorities in the evening,? said Mr. Caines at 11.15 last night.

?A search was carried out by Heron 1 (a Marine Police craft) and they located the boat three-and-a-half miles south south-west of Castle Island at 10.20 p.m.

?The boat, however, did not have the 52-year-old fisherman on board.

?At present two Police boats and two private boats are doing an exhaustive search in and around Castle Island, which is east of Castle Harbour.?

A Harbour Radio spokesman had said the fisherman was alone on the seagoing fishing boat and he had radioed his brother at about 2 to 2.30 p.m. to say he was going fishing south of Castle Island.

Harbour Radio said the fisherman had a lot of experience fishing in the area.

?The boat was showing up on radar, but we have not made contact with the fisherman,? said the Harbour Radio spokesman.

The man, who was not named, usually radioed Harbour Radio if he was not returning at 7 p.m.

The Harbour Radio spokesman said they were investigating the incident.