A Russian businessman went missing while on a solo fishing trip off the coast of Bali.

Sergei Eliseev, 36, set out from the shores of Karangasem Regency alone on April 16. His friends said he had intended to stay out at sea overnight, but failed to return the next day.

The local search and rescue (SAR) team launched a search after fishermen found the tourist's boat unmanned with his belongings still onboard near Seraya Timur Village, on April 17. Two phone, a laptop, and a pair of shorts were left behind, with no sign of the owner nearby.

Gusti Ngurah Eka Wiadnyana, co-ordinator of the Karangasem Search and Rescue Post (Basarnas), said on Friday, April 19: 'We only received the report related to the disappearance of the Russian citizen yesterday afternoon and we immediately conducted a search, the target has not been found. So we continue our search today.

'The initial suspicion is that the victim fell from his boat while he was in the middle of the sea while fishing.'

The search leader added that Sergei had managed to send to friends a selfie video of himself riding the boat on Wednesday evening, before he became unreachable.

A team of 20 personnel were scouring the waters to find the missing Russian, who is the founder of Russian health foods brand, Granolife.

The Indonesian coast, though stunning, poses several dangers including strong rip currents, rogue waves, and unpredictable tides that can make swimming or sailing perilous, especially for inexperienced tourists.