Exact fate of four still a mystery

THE precise fate of four missing fishermen may forever remain a mystery after police divers cleared the wreckage of their sunken slug boat Dianne without finding any more bodies yesterday.

Police will now turn to coordinating coastline patrols in vehicles, on foot, by vessels and a plane as families try to deal with the heartbreaking news the men remain lost at sea.

Two bodies were recovered from the vessel by police divers on Saturday, with friends confirming one was crewman Adam Hoffman, 30. Police did not name the second man.

The completion of the police dive operation leaves open the possibility the men drowned while escaping or perished later when they did not chance upon a rescue.

It comes as it can be revealed sole survivor Ruben McDornan was resting in a cabin with crewmates when the boat flipped in stormy seas north of the Town of 1770 shortly before 7.30pm last Monday.

Miraculously escaping the upturned vessel by forcing his way through a narrow gap in a door, he was repeatedly washed away from the boat before it finally sank and left him helplessly adrift.

His horrific night at sea was detailed by Mal Priday, the skipper of the catamaran that rescued Mr McDornan

“He said he doesn’t know how he got out through a gap that small but he got out,” Mr Priday said. “Unfortunately his mates behind him were unable to do the same.”

Mr McDornan, 32, was “pretty knocked around” when he got up on top of the hull of of the overturned boat.

“He was knocked off a number of times throughout the night as well,” Mr Priday said.

“The boat would have been lurching and moving in the waves. It would have been pitch black out there, it was a very dark night with no moon.

“It was rainy and cloudy. He could hear his mates inside trying to get out.”

Skipper Ben Leahy, 45, and crew members Eli Tonks, 39, Adam Bidner, 33, Chris Sammut, 34, and Zach Feeney, 28, also died in the accident.