A family from Griffith has watched helplessly lakeside as divers and a helicopter flew above searching for a 44-year-old man missing in the waters of Lake Cargelligo

.

A paddler going out for a fun time went missing on Saturday 17 January, sparking a multi-agency search including Police from the Central West District, the NSW State Emergency Service, NSW Rural Fire Service and members of the local community.

His paddleboard was recovered but on Monday 19 January but there is no sign of the man.

His family from Griffith in the Riverina have thanked Emergency Services and the local Lake Cargelligo community as the desperate search continued.

‘’I'm sorry for the inconvenience and trauma we have caused your community," they said on social media.

"We thank you for your charity and patience.

''On behalf of the family of Butch, we thank the Police, SES, RRT, Filipino community, Sail & Powerboat club and the residents of Lake Cargelligo, who jumped in the water, who I saw late at night and early morning with their flashlights walking the banks in the dark... we are forever in debt.''

A painful wait at Lake Cargelligo. [IMAGE: Facebook]

The man is part of a tight knit community from the Philippines who live in Griffith.

People who live in the Lake Cargelligo area said the family is devastated and many in the small town have offered food and accommodation.