3 boaties missing of Gladstone!!

[therapy]

Hope they find these blokes parked up somewhere safe and sound. Never a good feeling hearing of boaties in trouble/missing. What were conditions like up that way Friday?
Terry................



DEVELOPING: A SEARCH is under way for three fishermen missing off the central Queensland coast after they failed to return from an overnight trip.
The search was launched after they failed to return in their 5.1-metre half-cabin fishing vessel at the scheduled time of 4am (AEST) on Thursday.

A search involving two fixed-wing aircraft, a helicopter and two volunteer boats is under way between Bundaberg and Gladstone, Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Tracey Jiggins said.

"We're searching an area of 25 nautical miles offshore, between Bundaberg and Gladstone, which covers an area of about 2600 square nautical miles," she said.

The Energex Community Rescue Helicopter conducted a search on Friday morning but failed to find the men. It remains on standby for a rescue operation if they are found.

[blacksunday]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/794421/fishing-trio-missing-off-qld-coast :-[

[LoungeLizard]

It has been blowy all week, 15-20knots, dropping off at night. Hope these guys are OK

[uripper]

looks like the saddest of endings :'(

perhaps out of this tragedy there is something to be learned & remembered ...

“In these conditions it would be preferable to be in a bigger boat,” Hervey Bay water police sergeant Gary Crozier said. The men are known to carry safety equipment including life vests and Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBS).
http://www.finda.com.au/story/2009/03/28/frantic-search-at-sea-for-trio/
http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2009/03/31/charter-plane-searches-for-fishermen/

MalM

[reelchippy]

Well sad as it is how do you protect people from themselves
:(:(

[Mindi]

Well sad as it is how do you protect people from themselves
:(:(

yes it is tragic...just on the face of it 5.1M boat, 25NM offshore, 3 people on board and poor weather all just sounds a bit head scratching....but easy to be an armchair expert after a tragedy....which is not what I am doing....probably three families effectively destroyed.

[therapy]

yes it is tragic...just on the face of it 5.1M boat, 25NM offshore, 3 people on board and poor weather all just sounds a bit head scratching....but easy to be an armchair expert after a tragedy....which is not what I am doing....probably three families effectively destroyed.


Thats the bottom line Mindi. Devastating for immediate familie's and with the benefit of 20 20 hindsight, avoidable. The skipper had 20 add years of boating/fishing experience so what ever happened must have happened in a hurry to not get the epirb activated. You wonder if sometimes you can be too confident if you are an experienced boaty. Unless there is some sort of miracle, condolences to all concerned and to anyone else reading this, check the weather, check it again and no fish is worth the ultimate sacrifice.

Cheers........ Terry....

[Getout]

Do you think they might have been hit by a ship?

[FNQCairns]

Anyone see the jerry can? it's a shame and I truly hope the gaffa tape and plastic bag over the top of it, I assume to stop it leaking was not indicative of a trip out on that boat.

cheers fnq

[therapy]

Yeah I did see that FNQ. Don't know what to make of it but certainly odd.


Terry........

[ifishcq1]

Not good at all
what is it with fishers from Bundy
2 x 3 man crews in a few weeks and only 1 survivor so far
it is not a trend to continue and it definately shows a need to keep track of the latest weather reports even when you are out there
we can only hope that it is a long time before anymore tragedies

SL