Tears for families of missing six
DISTRAUGHT relatives of six missing Queensland crewmates emerged from a late police briefing in tears yesterday as the chances of survival plummeted.
Family members gathered at Gladstone police station for a private briefing in the afternoon and were overcome with emotion.
Experts had told police they had until the end of searching yesterday to find the men alive if they were in the water unsupported, and the deadline passed with only debris from the capsized trawler Dianne discovered.
Crew member, Ruben McDorman survived after a passing catamaran found him floating in a bay after 12 hours in the water. It is understood Mr McDorman clung to the trawler for six hours before it sank and did not see any of his crew mates emerge.
His wife Sammy said he was “sore but OK” and refused to give up hope of finding his mates.
Six vessels, six helicopters, a fixed wing aircraft, private vessels and an amphibious vehicle were searching. But search coordinator Sergeant Jeff Barnett said another day of severe weather hampered the search, with helicopters repeatedly forced back to base.
“On advice from our medical team, they tell us towards the end of the afternoon the chances of survival unsupported is negligible,” he said.
Police said there was no indication that a life raft fitted to the Dianne was deployed.