The 21-year-old, who was on the way to Mount Buller with friends, was last seen in Marysville on Thursday

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The search for a student who has gone “off the grid” in a small Victorian town has been called off until morning.

Poshik Sharma, 21, was last seen at the Duck Inn in Marysville, a popular tourist town in the Yarra Valley, at about 3.50pm on Thursday.

Sharma and his friends made a pit stop at the pub on the way to Mount Buller before they had a disagreement.

Inspector David Ryan told reporters on Sunday that the student disappeared “in the space of a mere 50 metres”, and crews had been looking high and low for him. Crews have also drained a nearby dam.

“Either he’s walked off into the bush… or he has got a lift from someone – that’s what we’re hoping,” Insp Ryan said, adding that walking tracks and waterways were being checked.

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“There’s nothing further that we can gain from electronic inquiries around his mobile phone – he’s completely gone off the grid – which is highly unusual for a young man, not to continue to be engaged with social media or using his phone in some manner.”

He urged anyone who may have seen Sharma to come forward. “Anybody who was in town at that time, we really do need to talk to them in the hope that they’ve got some memory of seeing this young man, dressed quite distinctively with bright red shoes, the bright red scarf and then a black puffer jacket and black beanie,” Insp Ryan said.

“He’s quite a good-looking, young Indian man. He’s fit, he’s strong, with the way he’s dressed he should stand out to people.”

Insp Ryan said Sharma’s friends and family haven’t heard from him since Thursday and attempts to trace a signal from his mobile phone have failed.

Sharma’s sister Samta is also in Marysville to join the search and has pleaded for help to find him.

Police hold grave fears for his safety, given the cold weather and rain.

The search will continue on Monday morning.