One man of the seven who were on board a trawler which capsized off the coast of Queensland has been saved
Hopes that the six fishermen feared dead after their trawler capsized off the Queensland coast will be found are fading after the search for them was suspended overnight.
Heavy rain and high tides put a dampener on the efforts to find the six men, who were below deck when the boat, Dianne, capsized near Middle Island at about 7.30pm on Monday.
One man, Ruben McDornan, was above deck at the time and managed to hold on to the hull of the boat before it sank around midnight, The Courier Mail reported.
He reportedly heard the others on board screaming and kicking at the walls of the boat as he clung to the vessel for dear life, before spending hours in the rough sea after the boat sunk.
A statement released from the RACQ Capricorn Helicopter team said they returned to base about 4pm on Tuesday after the alarm was raised at about 7am.
The rescue helicopter service reported it had located debris believed to be from the sunken vessel during the search, but made no mention of the missing fishermen’s whereabouts.
Ruben 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
The man reportedly heard his crewmates kicking and screaming below deck, and spent hours treading water in rough seas after the trawler sank
The men are believed to be trapped inside Dianne, (pictured) a fishing trawler which has sunk off the coast of Queensland
Wetsuits, thongs and a bucket were among the belongings found in the ocean on Tuesday, The Australian reported.
With bad weather continuing to hamper search efforts, the chance of finding the men alive has dropped significantly.
The area received almost 3700mm of rain in the past 24 hours and a severe weather warning remains in place.
Also aboard the boat was skipper Ben Leahy, who is believed to have owned Dianne.
Ben Leahy (pictured), who is understood to be the owner of the boat, is believed to have been in the engine room at the time the boat sank, and police believe he may have been electrocuted
Police reportedly believe Mr Leahy was in the engine room at the time, and may have been electrocuted as a result.
Mr Leahy is a single man in his 40s, who is an experienced fisherman and has worked in and around the ocean for the majority of his life.
Friends told The Courier Mail the man is ‘very likeable’.
Eli Tonks was also on the boat, believed to be below deck, as it sunk into the ocean on Monday night.
Eli Tonks (pictured) is also believed to have been below deck as the trawler sank on Monday night
The man, who lives in Cairns, became engaged to his girlfriend Ana just last year
The Cairns man became engaged to his Canadian girlfriend, Ana James, last year.
Mr Tonks appears quite active in photos shared to his social media, and is pictured often with exotic animals or enjoying picturesque beaches with Ms James.
The men were joined by fellow Cairns man Adam Bidner, believed to be in his 30s.
Mr Bidner also appears to live an active lifestyle, with pictures shared to his Facebook showing him on top of a mountain, and under the sea wearing scuba gear.
His mother Kay struggled to compose herself as she told The Courier Mail: ‘Right now, we’re just together as a family and we’re praying.’
Three others, so far unidentified, are also believed to be missing following the capsizing of Dianne.
The search for the missing men will resume at first light on Wednesday.
Adam Bidner (pictured), believed to be in his 30s, was also on board the ship Dianne when it sank into the ocean. The search for the men will resume at first light on Wednesday