Friends of Melbourne man missing for more than 20 days on solo drive home from Darwin launch online appeal
- Dane Kowalski, 27, left his Diamond Creek home in Victoria on December 12 for a fishing trip in Darwin
- There has been no trace of him since then, with his phone and bank accounts remaining untouched
- His family and friends have begun a huge search for Mr Kowalski by travelling across Australia and launching websites and fundraisers
- His best friend has offered $25,000 in reward money from his own pocket
The friend's of a 27-year-old man who has been missing for more than 20 days has launched a search party from Melbourne to Darwin in a desperate bid to find their mate Dane Kowalski.
There has been no trace of Kowalski since he left his Diamond Creek home in Victoria on December 12 for a fishing trip in Darwin where he planned to meet up with some local friends.
His much-loved friends has spoken out about their plans they all had with Kowalski over Christmas and New Year's but instead, they spent it retracing his footsteps and driving from Melbourne to Darwin, handing out missing posters and looking for signs of their missing friend.
They flew back to Darwin on New Year's Day to continue their missing person's campaign and they won't stop until they find him.
'If we find him we want to help him. The main thing is we want to get him home and look after him,' his friend Travis Lynch told NT News.
'He's the life and soul of our group. We need him.'
The group will continue their second search across the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria, as well as trekking through off-roads in between Darwin and Melbourne.
In an attempt to locate Kowalski, his friends have set up an official website, social media campaigns with hashtag #finddane, printed Kowalski t-shirts and stickers, and various fundraising events.
One of Kowalski's best friends, who have been mates since the age of 12, is so desperate to find him that he has offered $25,000 in reward money from his own pocket for any information.
Brittany Taylor, the partner of Mr Kowalski's best friend Anthony Hudson, told Daily Mail Australia that the missing man's family and friends were beside themselves with worry.
'No one has heard a word. There's been nothing since then [December 12]; his phone hasn't been touched, his bank account hasn't been touched, social media – nothing,' Ms Taylor said.
'He's missed Christmas, his god-daughter's birthday, some really vital things that we knew he was looking forward to. It's so out of character. It's not unusual for him to travel, but it is unusual for him not to check in.
'Everyone's beside themselves: his mum is not coping at all, everyone's a mess, everyone's doing everything they can, everyone's breaking down and trying to support each other.'
The enormous search effort for Mr Kowalski has involved police, psychics, missing posters, a social media campaign, a website and various fundraisers.
His friends and family have considered hiring a plane in Darwin for a more thorough search.
'My partner put that reward money - $25,000 - out of his own pocket. He's desperate to have his best friend back home. If someone knows something or they've seen something - we're desperate,' Ms Taylor said.
One of the many psychics, who responded to the social media campaign, told Mr Kowalski's family that the young man may have stopped to help someone whose car was hit by a kangaroo before a scuffle broke out and his car was taken.
It's just one of the many lead's his desperate family has followed up, including checking road tolls and phone records, but to no avail.
Ms Taylor and the rest of Mr Kowalski's friends and family have issued a plea of help to the public to help them find him.
'Even if people just put one flyer up on the back of their car windscreen – that's incredible and everything is appreciated,' Ms Taylor said.
'We don't think it's likely at all, but if he wants to be left alone we just want him to let us know he's ok. He's so missed and so loved and we're doing everything we can to get him home.
He's one of the most amazing people you'll ever meet; he'd give you everything he had if he knew he could help you. You can't say a bad word about him, you really can't. He really loves life.'
Dane is described as being of Caucasian appearance, approximately 185cm tall, of athletic build with blue eyes and undercut brown hair. He was driving a white 2004 Holden Rodeo ute with the registration WN114.
Anyone who sees Dane is urged to contact Triple Zero (000) immediately.