Woonona woman Karen James has spent the past four days by the telephone in the desperate hope her missing father calls.

A statewide search for 81-year-old Leslie Hicks has become a race against the clock as he requires daily medication for diabetes.

He also suffers low-level dementia and macular degeneration which has left him almost blind.

Chief Inspector Graeme Donnelly of Wollongong police said yesterday officers were investigating several unconfirmed sightings of Mr Hicks at Warilla and Nowra.

Mr Hicks left his home at Woonona Retirement Village on Sunday at 9.30am, telling staff he intended to visit Mrs James, who lives a 10-minute walk away, however he did not reach his destination.

Mrs James said her father may have instead boarded a train to visit either his son in Newcastle or his sister in Melbourne.

Mrs James said her father had spoken about an old family caravan that was located at Greenwell Point, on the day before he disappeared.

"Sometimes when people have a bit of dementia they go back in time," Mrs James said.

Mr Hicks has lived in the Illawarra all his life and is a returned serviceman.

Mrs James said the family's former butcher was certain he saw Mr Hicks at Tarrawanna about noon on Sunday.

The great-grandfather of two has been described as a friendly, much-loved man who enjoyed meeting mates at the Woonona-Bulli RSL Club. "He had a pretty good social life. He's 81 but he still likes to go out for his two beers and loves his games of Keno," Mrs James said.



Mr Hicks is 168cm tall with grey hair, wears glasses and was last seen wearing dark blue track pants, a blue and white polo shirt, dark blue jumper and black shoes.

People with information are urged to contact Wollongong Police on 4226 7899 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.