An angler believes his missing friend was swept out to sea by a “freak wave”.
Dysart man Fraser Carrington, 32, was last seen on the seafront at Tangle Ha near St Cyrus on Saturday evening and was reported missing by a companion in the early hours of Sunday.
An experienced angler, Mr Carrington, who is married with a family, has fished since his teens and is understood to have been a member of East Fife Shore Angling Club in the past.
Friend and fellow angler Peter Small said: “Talk to any angler in Scotland and they’ll always say it’s better to fish in stormy weather or just after stormy weather. We see it all the time. When an easterly wind blows, the guys are always getting ready to go out.
“People go missing every year. I know other boys who have had close shaves this year because of the conditions and I know boys who have been washed in and survived. People get washed off the rocks every year. You do get freak waves and I’ve no doubt that a freak wave caused it.”
It is not known what safety equipment Mr Carrington was using at the time, and Mr Small added it was rare for sea anglers to wear life jackets.
The Courier contacted his father, Les Carrington, who is also a keen angler, but he said the family did not want to speak at this difficult time.
Coastguard teams and police have searched the area between St Cyrus and Johnshaven. Police said the search would continue, depending on the tides.
A spokeswoman said: “We are currently working closely with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency with a view to assessing tide movements in order to target any future searches.”
The force has urged members of the public to report any sightings to them on 101.