Life jacket found in search for three missing fishermen
SEARCH OPERATION
A waterlogged life jacket and a fuel tank have been discovered as the search for three missing fishermen off the Far North coast continues.
The three men aged 18, 27, and 37, left Yarrabah on Tuesday morning in a 4.8 metre white, centre console aluminium vessel with a blue canopy, registration VO317Q.
The trio were last seen around 8.30am on Tuesday at a reef off Green Island where they appeared to be having engine trouble.
They have not been heard from since prompting police to launch a large-scale sea and air search spanning more than 1700 square nautical miles between Green Island and Cape Tribulation. Today that area was expanded north to also include waters off Wujal Wujal.
Acting Inspector Andrew Cowie today confirmed the life jacket and a fuel tank with attached fuel line, along with fuel containers found yesterday, belonged to the missing boat.
He said it was “unlikely” the boat could still operate without the fuel tank.
“Our objective is to maintain our search process and we have got a police vehicle in the search area; we also have air assets conducting a search of our target area,” Acting Inspector Cowie said.
“Police are currently focusing their search area around the Batt Reef, Hastings Reef and Michaelmas Cay areas, we have resources focused particularly on that area on the advice of experts.
“Weather has hampered our search efforts today, particularly in an aerial capacity; however, we are maintaining those search areas."
Search efforts will continue over the weekend using both air and sea assets from AMSA, Volunteer Marine Rescue, Marine Parks, Fisheries, Nautilus Aviation, additional police teams, local businesses, Yarrabah and wider community members.
“We will continue our search efforts until experts advise us otherwise, we have a presence until at least Sunday but at the start of each day we will be continuing through, planning and identifying where our high-risk areas are," Acting inspector Cowie said.
He added the boat was well equipped with safety equipment including a registered EPIRB.
“The operator of the watercraft is a very capable mariner; very safety conscious, and he had all the safety equipment on board at the time,” he said.
Anyone with any further information or who may have located debris is urged to contact police.