Search will continue for three men missing at sea off far north Queensland
Richard Dinnen - Queensland Editor |
Police continued to search the far north Queensland coastline today for three men missing at sea since Saturday.
They’d left Clump Point, near Mission Beach, on Friday night in a five-metre fibreglass fishing boat. Police said there were problems with the outboard motor, the boat took on water and eventually sank on Saturday morning.
One man was found on Sunday floating in the water near the North Barnard Island Group, about 10 kilometres offshore. He’s been treated in Innisfail hospital for hypothermia and exposure.
Today SES crews and police combed the coastline north from Cowley Beach, looking for any sign of the men or their vessel.
Yesterday, police located an item of interest that may have come from the boat, but there’s been no confirmation of its significance to the search.
The four on board are a 24-year-old Mission Beach man who owns the boat, two men from Vanuatu and one from Tonga.
The boat was swamped while the men were trying to fix an outboard motor problem that occurred on the journey back to shore. Police said it took on water and sank very quickly. Police said the search will continue on Thursday.
