Hopes are fading for six fishermen missing in waters off the east coast of Australia after their trawler capsized on Monday night.
The trawler 'Dianne' which capsized off Australia's east coast on Monday. Photo: Queensland Police
A seventh man, Ruben McDornan, managed to survive in the water in Bustard Bay, near the Queensland town of Seventeen Seventy, police said.
He survived by clinging to the boat's hull for about 12 hours before a yacht crew heard his cries for help on Tuesday morning.
Police said despite some debris being recovered there was no sign of the missing crew members.
The 17m commercial fishing trawler Dianne capsized at 7.30pm local time on Monday and sank about five hours later.
"It was only through sheer luck that a passing couple on a yacht managed to hear the screams of the individual that was rescued," said search co-ordinator Jeff Barnett from Queensland police.
"If it had not been for that we still wouldn't know."
The skipper of the trawler, who is one of the six who are missing, is Ben Leahy, who was on watch when the boat capsized.
According to his social media accounts, Mr Leahy studied at the Australian Maritime College and attended Nudgee College in Brisbane's north between 1986 and 1990.
Lifeflight chief executive Brian Guthrie said he knew Mr Leahy as they had gone to school together.
"He's always been in boats and around the water diving and things like that, ever since I've known him," he said.
"He's very experienced in the water and I expect his crew would be exactly the same, so if anyone is going to give it their best shot for the best outcome, these guys would be it."
Police said they had not detected any emergency transmissions or beacons from the vessel.
Wet weather hindered the search on Tuesday. An air-and-sea search resumed at first light this morning. Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Sam Campbell said search conditions today were better than yesterday but poor visibility was making it difficult.
"The rainfall won't be as heavy and the winds won't be as strong, but there is quite a lot of energy in the sea at the moment because we've had some really strong winds over the last couple of days - so it will be a bit choppy out there, unfortunately," he said.
He said there would be six helicopters and one plane involved in the search.
"The search area continues to expand the longer the search goes on due to the weather conditions - tides, drift and things like that," Mr Guthrie said.
The families of the missing men were expected to arrive in either Gladstone or Bundaberg.
- BBC / ABC
