"It's looking really wet over there [Sunday night], so persistant rain for the rest of the evening and then continuing into the early hours of Monday," he said. Victoria Police Inspector David Ryan on Sunday said the weather would not be "a good scenario for him" if he has not found shelter. Mr Sharma's elderly parents in India had not been told of his disappearance, relative and housemate Prince Teona said. "We're trying our best so that we find him before they find out because he's their only son," Mr Teona told Channel Nine, holding back tears. Friends of the 21-year-old said on Sunday they saw Mr Sharma try to flag down a ride, but the driver took off.

"We're pretty sure he must've tried again later," Mr Teona said. He said Mr Sharma had had four or five drinks before he left, but "he had his sense about him". His sister, Samta, said she was desperate for answers: "Police are doing very well but we haven't got any further. He's never done anything like this before". Police drained a dam in Marysville on Sunday as the search for Mr Sharma ramped up. Almost 50 State Emergency Service volunteers, 26 bush search and rescue members and three police dogs had joined the search after temperatures plummeted to two degrees on Sunday morning.

Poshik Sharma's friends and family in Marysville on Sunday. Credit:Scott McNaughton Mr Sharma hasn't used his bank accounts, mobile phone or social media since. Attempts to trace a signal from the mobile phone have failed. The missing man's friends tried to phone him as he crossed the road, but he didn't answer. What happened next remains a mystery. Victoria Police Inspector David Ryan said: "He's turned to head up the hill towards the police station and he's just disappeared from there ... in the matter of about 50 metres. Where he's gone from there we simply don’t know." Mr Sharma was wearing a scarf, beanie, jacket and runners when he went missing. Police hold grave fears for his safety, given the conditions.

"If he's found shelter he'll be all right but if not, it's not a good scenario for him," Inspector Ryan said. Police said they feared Mr Sharma could have met with "some sort of mischief". SES volunteers gather in Marysville. Credit:Scott McNaughton Inspector Ryan said police had searched "what we'd consider all the obvious locations". “We’ve got extensive ground searches under way. There’s lots and lots of walking tracks. They’ve all been checked to no avail, so we’re essentially going through a process now of re-checking and then expanding the search area into some of the denser bush land."

Police searching in Marysville for missing man Poshik Sharma. Credit:Scott McNaughton Friends said Mr Sharma's disappearance was completely out of character. Mr Teona said: “He was always smiling. He found it easy to make lots of friends and loves gym. Gym is his passion, he never misses gym.” “He’s always happy, he's a pretty calm and composed guy who never really sweats the small things so this is out of character.” Inspector Ryan said Mr Sharma wasn’t known to possess survival skills and if he hadn’t found shelter, he would be "a sick man".

“We don’t understand that he has any experience in a rural environment whatsoever," he said. "I mean, he’s wearing a puffer jacket, a scarf and a beanie, but he’s not dressed to move about in the high country at all. Missing student Poshik Sharma. “What he’s wearing is not the right sort of clothing to wear even on a tourist track. Once it’s wet, it won’t dry and it’s been perfectly miserable here for the last three days, so that’s where the exposure and risk to his life is huge.” Rescue Dogs Australia founder Julie Cowan said the difficult terrain made the search difficult.