Police have been told six fishermen missing in treacherous waters are unlikely to survive another night, as the desperate search moves closer to a recovery operation.
All six men were believed to be below deck when their trawler capsized off the Queensland town of Seventeen Seventy on Monday night.
Search and Rescue coordinator Jeff Barnett said on Wednesday afternoon time was running out to find the young fishermen alive.
‘The best case scenario is we find six people in a life raft. That’s what we’re aiming for at the moment. But it’s not looking real promising,’ he said.
Six fishermen (including crewman Eli Tonks, pictured with his fiance) remain missing after their trawler capsized in treacherous conditions off the Queensland coast. Police say the men are unlikely to survive another night in the water
The sole survivor so far crew member Ruben McDornan is pictured right. Left is skipper Ben Leahy
Search and Rescue coordinator Jeff Barnett (pictured) said on Wednesday afternoon time was running out to find the young fishermen alive
As the search enters its third day, the chances of survival are slim, Sergeant Barnett said.
‘On advice from our medical team, they tell us towards the end of the afternoon the chances of survival unsupported is negligible,’ he said.
The sole confirmed survivor, crew member Ruben McDornan, spent hours in the water before he was saved by a passing yacht.
He reportedly heard the other men screaming and kicking at the walls of the boat as he clung to the vessel.
Six others – including Eli Tonks, Adam Bidner, Adam Hoffman and skipper Ben Leahy – who remain missing. Two of the men are yet to have been named.
Bad weather is hampering the search for the crewmates of the fishing vessel, Dianne.
As the hours since their boat sank pass, their families are praying for a miracle.
Adam Hoffman (pictured with Pauline Hanson) was confirmed as one of the missing men on Wednesday morning
Mr Bidner’s (pictured) sister Jodie wrote: ‘I need every one’s hope and will to help my brother Adam who is currently one of the missing men off his Trawler’
‘The boat flipped during the night while most of them were in their cabins,’ Heidi Sargeant, sister of Mr Hoffman, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.
‘It sounds like it was unexpected as they didn’t manage to get a distress call out. We are hopeful they managed to get out of the boat after it flipped to give them half a chance.
‘They were all divers and fit and healthy so if they managed to get out we are hopeful they may still be alive!’
Late on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Bidner’s mother Kay posted a picture of her son wearing a Superman shirt.
‘Time to use your superpower Adam,’ she captioned the photo.
Mr Bidner’s sister Jodie wrote: ‘I need every one’s hope and will to help my brother Adam who is currently one of the missing men off his Trawler.
Mr Bidner’s mother Kay posted a picture of her son wearing a Superman shirt. ‘Time to use your superpower Adam,’ she captioned the photo.
Eli Tonks (pictured) is believed to have been below deck as the trawler sank on Monday night
Mr McDoran (pictured) was above deck when the boat capsized about 7.30pm on Monday night, and held on to the hull of the boat until it sunk about midnight
‘Adam is strong, stubborn and fit and I’m hanging on to the fact that if anyone is a fighter it’s Adam Bidner.’
She later added: ‘Hang in there bro… we will find you.’
Mr Tonks’ mother Jenny posted on Facebook: ‘My son and his co-workers… I have no words, we are just waiting.’
One of the people aiding the helicopter search is RACQ LifeFlight chief operations officer Brian Guthrie, who went to school with missing skipper Mr Leahy.
He said Mr Leahy was a very experienced seaman and diver, and that had given him some hope the men might still be alive.
The men were believed to be trapped inside Dianne, (pictured) a fishing trawler which has sunk off the coast of Queensland
All six men (including Adam Hoffman, pictured) were believed to be below deck on Monday night when their vessel rolled off the town of Seventeen Seventy
The mother of Mr Tonks (pictured) said: ”My son and his co-workers… I have no words, we are just waiting’
‘He’s always been in boats around the water, diving and things like that,’ Mr Guthrie told ABC radio on Wednesday.
‘He’s very experienced in the water and I expect his crew would be exactly the same. If anyone’s going to give it their best shot, for the best outcome, these guys would be it.’
Mr Guthrie said six helicopters and one plane were spearheading Wednesday’s search, supported by vessels on the water.
The area being searched is larger than it was on Tuesday, allowing for the impacts of sea drift and tides.
Eight hours of searching on Tuesday yielded some debris but it was not yet known if it came from the missing boat, he said.
Wetsuits, thongs and a bucket were among the belongings found in the ocean on Tuesday, The Australian reported.
Police said the search will be suspended at nightfall on Wednesday and resume on Thursday morning.