Anxious search for missing men

The missing trawler located off the Central Queensland coast.

Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service

ROCKHAMPTON Airport was the scene of intense activity this morning as it became the hub of a massive search operation for two missing trawlermen.

Up to 10 aircraft are involved in the hunt for the men who were on-board the 20-metre trawler MBC when it capsized in heavy seas whipped up by tropical Cyclone Hamish on Monday morning.

The planes were in the air from first light, scouring an area of 1120 square nautical miles about 140 nautical miles north east of Rockhampton.

Each of the aircraft has at least two SES spotters on-board.

The missing fishermen, who are based in Hervey Bay, are the skipper, Russell Palmer and experienced crewman Tony Tyndall.

Mr Palmer’s 20-year-old nephew James Palmer is continuing to recover in Rockhampton Hospital after his amazing rescue yesterday. He had been drifting for about 24 hours when he was hauled aboard the RACQ-CQ Rescue Helicopter.

The search is being conducted by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority which says it is pouring all the resources it can muster into the operation.

A stroke of luck likened to "winning the lotto 100 times over" saved the life of fisherman James Palmer, when a wave washed back an emergency beacon that he'd lost grip of earlier.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) spokeswoman Tracey Jiggins said fixed wing aircraft are searching the waters for the two men, while a high altitude Dornier aircraft will relay messages to the communications centre in Canberra, she said.

"All the crews have been briefed this morning, there will be a minimum of two SES observers on each aircraft," Ms Jiggins said.

"There's always hope and we're putting in as many resources as we can today, because time is of the essence."

James Palmer reaches land aboard an RACQ CQ rescue helicopter.

The search will take place over 1,120 square nautical miles, about 140 nautical miles northeast of Rockhampton.

An AMSA Dornier aircraft searched the waters overnight using an infra-red body heat detecting device, but was unsuccessful in locating the two men.

The Hervey Bay trawler, named MBC, was located on Tuesday afternoon by an AMSA aircraft about 210km off the coast of Yeppoon, close to where an emergency beacon went off on Monday morning.

But a rescue crewman lowered to the boat found no one on board.

A view from the helicopter of the missing trawler located off the Central Queensland coast.

The trawler is believed to have been lashed by waves of up to six metres and heavy winds early Monday morning.

However, a search of the trawler has lifted hopes for the two men.

"We understand there is another life raft that hasn't been recovered from the trawler," Ms Jiggins said.

On Wednesday, there were expected to be high winds, but not too extreme, with choppy water.

The search will continue until nightfall, when a decision on whether to carry on will be made.

Medical survival expert Dr Jeff Brock has said that if the men had been knocked overboard without flotation devices, they would face a tough battle to stay afloat and not take in water.

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