HOPING FOR A MIRACLE
It was all falling into place for Chris Sammut. New house. New baby. Happily married. Now lost at sea, loved ones are ...
A YOUNG Gold Coast family is praying that devoted dad Chris Sammut is found today when the search resumes for the missing crew of a sunken trawler.
Mr Sammut was last night named as one of the six men missing after the fishing boat Dianne (right) overturned on Monday night off the central Queensland coast.
The noted cinematographer and diver celebrated the birth of his first child late last year, bought a new home in January and last month marked 10 years with the love of his life, wife Sharryn.
“He knows how to get around in water,” a friend said. “I’m hopeful.”
FRIENDS of Gold Coast man Chris Sammut are clinging to hope the decorated cinematographer will be found today when the search continues for those on board a sunken trawler off the coast of central Queensland.
Mr Sammut was last night named as one of the six men missing after the fishing boat Dianne overturned near Middle Island, about 20km northeast of the town of 1770, at 7.30pm on Monday. It sunk several hours later.
A crew member, Ruben McDornan, clung to the boat’s hull for 12 hours before being found by a passing yacht. He remembers screams from his missing mates as the trawler went down.
It was not known why Mr Sammut was on the boat. However, he had worked previously with members of the crew, including the skipper Ben Leahy, as a cinematographer and diver.
Police have confirmed the identities of the six missing men as Mr Sammut, 34, Mr Leahy, 45, Eli Tonks, 33, Adam Bidner, 33, Zach Feeney, 28 and Beenleigh man Adam Hoffman, 30.
“He’s very good at what he does,” Cristy Ross told the Bulletin of Mr Sammut last night. “He’s committed and passionate about getting it right. He has a very creative mind. It was a privilege to work with him.
“He loves his family. He worked hard and sacrificed time with them to give them a better life.”
Mr Sammut and his wife Sharryn bought a unit in Paradise Point in January after celebrating the birth of their first child in September last year. The pair met while travelling overseas and married in 2015.
“His son was born when we were working together,” Ms Ross said. “He was super excited – it was his first child.
“I met his wife a couple of times, she brought the bub into work to show him off. He’s a cutie. They’re one of those families where you think, ‘that’s the perfect family’. He’s pretty tough, resilient. He knows how to get around in water. I’m hopeful.”
A friend of the Sammuts, Dan Clarke, said Chris had always been “an amazing husband to Sharryn”.
The couple celebrated 10 years of being together three weeks ago.
Mitch Davies also worked closely with Mr Sammut at M-Motion, filming and videoing properties together every day.
He said his former colleague was a “genuinely nice guy” and videography and the ocean had always been a part of his life.
“He was diving pretty much since he could walk,” Mr Davies said.
‘He’d travelled the world a few times over before he settled, doing cinematography for some pretty big companies. He did a bit of work for National Geographic.
“He was very sought after. He’s very good at what he does.”
Friends and family of Mr Hoffman, a diver and keen fisherman, were refusing to give up hope.
“Pls (sic) pray for my brother who is lost at sea off the Gladstone coast somewhere after his trawler capsized last night,” his sister Heidi Sargeant wrote on Facebook. “Come on Adam, the whole family is waiting for you to give us a call and tell us we are worrying about nothing!”
Windaroo couple Katie and Matty Hunt said Hoffman, who appeared to enjoy surfing off the Gold Coast, would not give up even in the roughest of condition.
“We hold a lot of hope that he will be found. He wouldn’t give up. He’s not the type of bloke to give up,” Mrs Hunt said.
“He’s too young, out there.” he’ll be