An elderly fisherman has been missing for almost 18 hours after falling into a creek while trying to rescue his mate in central Queensland.
Police say the 74-year-old man was fishing in an area called Coconuts Beach, about 50km south of Mackay, when he disappeared between 2-3pm (AEST) on Saturday.
The man had been with three friends - aged 86, 71 and 51 - on two boats, when the oldest man jumped overboard to untangle one of the boat's motors.
When he got stuck in the mud, his 74-year-old mate tried to throw him an anchor to help him pull himself out.
But as he threw the anchor, the 74-year-old fell overboard into the creek.
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The three men searched for the missing friend, but they couldn't find him.
A search by emergency services will continue on Sunday morning.
