Issued 22 July 2002 immediate use
Media Release
Extensive sea search continuing off Queensland
Australian Search and Rescue is continuing to coordinate a search for two men from the sunken fishing trawler Eastern Leader in the Great Barrier Reef near Innisfail.
Today’s search, using 11 fixed wing aircraft and four helicopters, will cover a 2000 square nautical mile region between Hinchinbrook Island and Cairns.
The searched commenced after a third man, clinging to an upturned dinghy, was picked up by the cruise vessel Reef Endeavour about 8 pm on Saturday night (20/7) about 12 nautical miles (22kms) offshore.
He had been in the water for more than 40 hours after the Eastern Leader snagged a trawl line and sank near Otter Reef about 20 nm (37km) offshore.
The survivor said he and another deckhand had clung to the swamped dinghy for several hours before the other man left to attempt to swim to shore.
He said the fishing boat’s skipper had not been sighted since the vessel overturned and sank.
The weather in the search area today is moderate with 25 knot south easterly winds and two metre seas.
Contact:
Ben Mitchell AMSA-PR 0418 164 901
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