Missing Fisherman: Search Continues After Two Rescued Off Mackay

Three experienced fishermen endured a desperate night on the water after their boat capsized off the central Queensland coast, with one man still missing as a determined search operation continued into the following day.

The men were aboard a fishing vessel at Creal Reef, roughly 80 nautical miles from Mackay, when disaster struck Thursday night. An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) activated at 8.10pm, immediately alerting rescue authorities to the emergency. However, salvation would not come swiftly—police vessels faced a gruelling five to six-hour journey through poor visibility to reach the stricken vessel.

In those critical early hours, a rescue helicopter managed to locate one man clinging desperately to the overturned hull. But before rescuers could reach him, the helicopter lost sight of the survivor in the darkness and poor conditions. When police boats finally arrived on scene and approached the wreckage, officers encountered a grim mystery: the man was no longer there. For reasons authorities have been unable to explain, he had somehow become detached from the vessel.

As dawn broke on Friday, a jet aircraft spotted a man in the water at 5.55am. The rescue helicopter descended and lifted him to safety by 7am, and he was rushed to Mackay Base Hospital in serious condition. The 44-year-old Grasstree Beach man had survived the capsizing and the long, cold night in the ocean—his professional experience clearly serving him well.

Just over five hours later, at around 11am, rescuers located a second survivor. The 43-year-old man from Bray Park was also airlifted to hospital for treatment. Both rescued men were experienced fishermen with years spent navigating Queensland's waters—credentials that had evidently aided their survival.

The third man remained unaccounted for. The 41-year-old from Grasstree Beach, brother to one of the rescued men, was still missing. The search that had brought two men to safety now became a desperate race against time for a third.

Queensland Police signalled their resolve to continue the operation. "We will continue to search until there's been a determination by health experts that there is limited or no chance of anyone being recovered alive," Senior Constable Syrrell Howard said Friday.

The search drew resources from across the region as authorities urged boaties and recreational water users to report any sightings immediately to police. The incident underscored both the raw power of the ocean and the capabilities of Queensland's emergency services—helicopters and vessels coordinating across vast waters in treacherous conditions to pull men from the sea.

As the operation continued, it stood as a stark reminder of the risks those who work or fish in Australia's waters face daily, even when equipped with modern safety systems and years of experience.