THE son of missing Sheffield man
Nicola Sallese says his family is
heartbroken to be facing Christmas without
its loved one.
Missing dad
heartbreak

DESPAIR
...
Nick
Sallese
at
Devonport
yesterday
as
police
plan
an
air
search.
LINDA SMITH - The Mercury
December 19, 2008 08:21am
Nick Sallese has been frantically
helping police search for his 69-year-old
father since he disappeared almost five
weeks ago.
He has followed up many tip-offs and
even paid for a helicopter search three
weeks ago but there is still no trace of his
father, who was last seen driving his silver
Toyota Camry sedan, registration FH2973, in
Main St, Sheffield, on Monday, November 17.
Police yesterday conducted their own
air search for Mr Sallese, scouring roads
and bushland around Sheffield.
Nick said it had been a tough few
weeks made more difficult by the fact it was
Christmas, when he usually spent time with
his father.
Nick and his wife have two young
children, aged five and two, who miss their
grandfather. Nick's brother also has a young
family.
"It's going to be a bit subdued," he
said of Christmas Day.
"We usually spend Christmas with dad
as a family.
"My mother died eight years ago --
we're a small family so that makes it even
harder."
Nick said yesterday's police search,
although unsuccessful, helped put the
family's minds at ease.
"We needed to have the police do this
for us," he said.
"We have exhausted all leads and we're
really back at square one ... for peace of
mind, with Christmas just around the corner,
we need to know that we've searched the
local area and searched it well."
He urged people to continue looking
for his father, who speaks with an Italian
accent and is about 150cm tall, of stocky
build with close-cropped white hair and a
neat moustache.
Mr Sallese has early signs of
dementia, but the retired Hydro worker
regularly drove into Sheffield to play
bowls, pick up supplies or visit friends at
the RSL club.
"It's Christmas and people will be out
on the roads, so we want them to know that
we haven't found dad and his car is still
out there," Nick said.
"I get about six calls a day from
people asking if we've found dad and just
wanting to let us know they are thinking of
our family.
"I think it's harder not knowing --
you need to have that bit of closure.
"We never got the chance to say
goodbye."
Devonport police inspector Lauchland
Avery said there was little they could do
since the two-hour police search found no
trace of Mr Sallese.
"We wanted to satisfy the family that
everything possible was being done in the
lead-up to Christmas," he said.
"Obviously at this time of year in
particular it is playing on the family's
minds."
Insp Avery said it was likely Mr
Sallese's car had run off the road and was
in the water or down a ravine where it
couldn't be seen.
Anyone with information about Mr
Sallese's whereabouts is asked to contact
police on 131 444.