Nicola SALLESE

Above - this car is similar to Nicola's

***A message from Nicola's family -

Nicola Sallese has been missing since the 17th of November 2008. He was last seen driving through Sheffield, Tasmania in his silver Toyota Camry sedan which has some damage on the passenger side. Rego Number FH 2973.

The search is still a statewide one, we know if we can locate his car, it will unlock some clues as to where he could be.

Any information can be forwarded to Tasmanian police on 131 444.

The Sallese family would like to thank everyone for their support and great efforts to help find Nick.

Please forward this note to all your Tasmanian contacts.

Thankyou.

Call for help to find missing man

Posted Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:38pm AEDT - ABC

The family of a northern Tasmanian man who's been missing for two nights hold fears for his safety.

69-year old Nicola Sallese from Sheffield has not been seen since Monday morning.

His family believe Mr Sallese is travelling in his silver sedan and is known to visit areas around Sheffield and Devonport.

His son, Nicholas, says his father is in the early stages of dementia.

"This is totally out of character," he said.

"For him to be away for one night it was a concern but now to be missing for actually two nights we hold grave fears."

Town hunts for missing man

BY SARAH WEBB AND SEAN FORD - The Advocate

19/11/2008 1:00:00 AM

THE "whole township of Sheffield" was out looking for missing local man Nicola Sallese, his worried son, Nick, said yesterday.

"At this stage we don't know (what has happened)," Nick Sallese said.

"It's starting to get a bit of a worry.

"He has got an ongoing medical condition ... but he has never gone overnight and that is what the concern is."

Police said they held concerns for the welfare of Mr Sallese, 69.

They said he had not been seen or heard of by friends and family since early on Monday morning.

It was believed he was travelling in his silver Toyota Camry sedan (FH2973).

"This vehicle has recent accident damage to the left-hand side and has a small `nodding brown dog' on the rear parcel shelf," police said.

Police said Mr Sallese was known to frequent the areas around Sheffield and Devonport.

He had also lived at Gowrie Park and George Town and may return to these areas. It was also believed Mr Sallese may have tried to drive to Launceston or Hobart for personal reasons.

Police said Mr Sallese was described as about 150cm, of stocky build with closely cropped white hair.

The top of his head is bald and he has a neat, white moustache.

Mr Sallese is of Italian descent and has an accent.

He was most likely wearing a blue driving cap and a green jumper.

Anyone with information about Mr Sallese's whereabouts is asked to contact police on 131444.

Chopper joins search for missing man

Posted Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:14pm AEDT - ABC

A helicopter search is underway for a 69-year-old north-west man missing since Monday.

Nicola Sallese from Sheffield is described as about 150 cms tall, with a stocky build and short white hair.

His son, Nicholas, hopes an air search can locate his father's car, a silver Toyota Camry sedan.

"There's been no real new information come through," Mr Sallese said.

"So after having two days of the community and friends and family and anyone else out there having a look for him, we've got to now assume that he's off the beaten track, or he's taken a wrong turn and got lost."

Fears held for missing man

Posted Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:00am AEDT - ABC

Tasmanian Police have issued a fresh appeal for information which could help in the search for a missing north-west man.

They say they hold grave concerns for 69-year old Nicola Sallese of Sheffield.

He was last seen driving a silver Toyota Camry sedan through the town's main street.

His son, Nick Sallese, says there have been no strong leads.

"We've got to assume that maybe he's off the beaten track and maybe taken a wrong turn and got lost, or possibly ran out of petrol," he said.

He is described as balding with a stocky build and neat white moustache.

Nick Sallese says a helicopter search of the town and surrounding area yesterday failed to find the vehicle.

"We really need to find the car, once we find the car, we can go from there," Mr Sallese said.

Sheffield man's son is going to all lengths to find him

23/11/2008 1:00:00 AM - The Examiner

NICK Sallese has spent the past week in a desperate search for his father.

He has combed the streets around Nicola Sallese's Sheffield home, organised a helicopter to search from the air, urged the media to run reports and photographs and called or visited everyone his father knows.

Still nothing. Only a half- sighting in Launceston that has led nowhere.

"Someone must have seen something," Mr Sallese said. "We don't know where to look."

Nicola Sallese, 69, was last seen driving his silver Toyota Camry sedan, registration number FH 2973, in Main St at Sheffield, heading towards Railton.

He must have left his home between 11.15am on Monday and 12.30pm, Mr Sallese said.

"We know he was home at 11.15am because we talked to him on the phone, but when Meals on Wheels arrived there was no one there."

The Camry he was driving should stand out from the hundreds of others. It has recent accident damage and a small brown dog nods in the rear window.

"We've asked has anyone seen an old man driving a silver Toyota - I thought there would have been a 100,000, but apparently not."

Mr Sallese said his father was in the early stages of dementia, hence the worry.

He might have confused days and gone to visit a friend or a place from when they lived in George Town three decades ago.

Mr Sallese has asked people in Launceston particularly to think back over their memories.

Saturday last week was the anniversary of the death of Nicola Sallese's wife. He would visit her grave in King Meadows' Carr Villa cemetery on that day every year. This year he forgot.

Nicola Sallese is described as being 150cm tall and of stocky build with cropped grey hair, balding on top, and he has a neat white moustache. He speaks with a thick Italian accent.

Anyone who has information, or who thinks they might have seen him, is asked to contact Tasmania Police on 131444.

New sighting of missing man

November 24, 2008 06:27:00 - ABC

Family of missing man expects the worst

Posted Mon Dec 8, 2008 8:44am AEDT

The family of a Tasmanian man who has been missing for three weeks now fears he is dead.

There has been only one sighting of 69-year-old Nicola Sallese since he was seen driving a silver Toyota Camry sedan through Sheffield.

Mr Sallese's son Nic says with more tourists on the road in the lead-up to Christmas, he is hoping the car might be found.

"Christmas just you know three weeks away, my oldest boy just had his birthday, life goes on you know I understand that but there's just that hollow feeling obviously that you just need to finalise these things," Mr Sallese said.

"We're not expecting obviously now three weeks down the track that we're going to have the best result that we could have had but all the same you still need to have closure."

Police revise Sheffield man's last sighting

Posted 6 hours 33 minutes ago - December 8th 2008

Police say there has been a mix-up over the sighting of a man missing on Tasmania's north west coast.

Some reports have said 69-year-old Nicola Sallese was seen driving erratically on November 17th, a day after he was last seen in his home town of Sheffield.

Inspector Lauchland Avery says that information is now known to be incorrect.

"That matter was reported at the time by two passing motorists," he said.

"We revised that and identified that that particular incident occurred on the 13th.

"That means that that actual sighting was prior to the person being reported missing."

Missing man appeal

December 13, 2008 04:00am - The Mercury

POLICE have renewed their appeal for information about Sheffield man Nicola Sallese, who has not been seen for nearly a month.

Mr Sallese, 69, was last seen driving his silver Toyota Camry, registration FH 2973 in Main St, Sheffield, on Monday November 17.

It is believed he may have driven to Hobart or Launceston.

Mr Sallese is 150cm tall, stocky, with some close-cropped white hair and a moustache.

He speaks with a broad Italian accent.

Yesterday police said they held grave concerns for his safety.

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.

Chopper fails to find missing man

Posted December 19, 2008 08:33:00 - ABC

A second helicopter search around Sheffield in Tasmania's north-west yesterday has failed to find any trace of a missing 69-year-old man.

Nicola Sallese was reported missing a month ago.

Inspector Lauchland Avery says police will continue to keep an eye on the case.

"At this stage we don't intend, unless there's some concrete information, to use aerial searches again," he said.

"We will be appealing to the public to keep an eye out and report anything they know and obviously if there's any sightings we'll be investigating."

Search continues for missing NW man

Posted Mon Jan 5, 2009 8:31am AEDT - ABC

The family of a missing north-west Tasmanian man are continuing their search for Italian immigrant Nicola Sallese.

The 69-year-old was last seen driving a silver Toyota Camry in the main street of Sheffield in November.

Aerial searches have failed to find any trace of him.

Posters have been put up around the state.

His son, Nick Sallese, says the family have searched the state.

"We just keep going at this stage," he said.

"Everybody's baffled as to why the car hasn't turned up.

"So we've just got to keep the word out there I guess that the car hasn't been sighted and hopefully with people out and about on holidays they might just see something that someone's missed and it might lead to some closure."

Fresh appeal over missing man

Updated Tue Aug 3, 2010 3:08pm AEST

Tasmanian police are renewing a call for public help in locating an elderly man who has been missing for more than 18 months.

Sheffield man Nicola Sallese has not been seen since November 2008.

Police are asking the public to report any cars they have seen down embankments or off the road.

It is believed Mr Sallese was travelling in his silver Toyota Camry when he went missing.

Mr Sallese's son Nic says the family hopes the renewed public appeal will solve his disappearance.

"It's hard to believe that in a state like Tasmania a car can go missing for so long without being found but every situation's different for us. We're kind of at peace to what's happened with Dad. We just want to find the car and his body now and put that side to rest," he said.

Police are highlighting his case during Missing Persons Week.