Tag Archives: F/V Dianne
New memorial for six men killed in sunken trawler off Queensland coast
A permanent memorial will be built for the six crewmen killed when the fishing trawler F/V Dianne capsized and sank in wild seas off the central Queensland coast. One crew member survived, the bodies of two men were found in the sunken vessel by a police diver, and the bodies of the remaining four crewmen have never been recovered. “It has been nearly five years since the tragedy, but it is important we get this right,” Transport Minister Mark Bailey said. “An artist’s impression of the memorial was designed with guidance from the families of the FV Dianne crew. >click to read< 08:43
Queensland coroner lashes Fisheries over missing alert after eight die, inquest condemn bureaucrats, urges inflatable vests for fishers
A coroner investigating the deaths of eight men after two trawlers capsized off Queensland has criticised authorities for failing to implement a safety feature to alert police when a boat vanishes. Coroner David O’Connell says the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries should immediately implement the vessel-monitoring-system feature designed to send an SMS or email to police if a boat or ship fails to “poll” on the system, which may indicate it has sunk. >click to read< Findings from trawler Dianne sinking inquest condemn bureaucrats, urges inflatable vests for fishers – Video, >click to read< 15:34
Overhaul trawler safety, coroner urged
A Queensland coroner is considering the words of the mother of a fisherman lost when a trawler capsized off Queensland who said the crew deserved to have been rescued, not recovered. Coroner David O’Connell has retired to consider his findings after a two week inquest into the deaths of eight men after two fishing vessel tragedies. This week he investigated in Gladstone the deaths of men when the FV Dianne rolled and sank off the Town of 1770 on October 16, 2017. >click to read<10:23
Kitchen freezer could have become a missile as stricken trawler sank
An unsecured kitchen freezer on board a Queensland trawler that sank with the loss of two men could have become a missile inside the stricken vessel as it rolled in rough seas before plummeting to the ocean floor, an inquest has heard. The bodies of skipper Matt Roberts, 61, and crewman David Chivers, 36, have never been found but investigators say it’s likely they were inside the wheelhouse of the FV Cassandra as it rolled in the early hours of April 4, 2016. >click to read>13:02
F/V Dianne Tragedy: sole survivor Ruben McDornan calls for tighter commercial fishing safety laws
The sole survivor of a dive boat disaster that claimed the lives of six men has accused the government of turning its back on commercial fishermen, calling for more stringent safety monitoring of boats. Ruben McDornan, the only surviving crew member from the FV Dianne, which sank off the coast of Queensland last year, says fishermen are dying unnecessarily because no government authority wants to take responsibility for their safety. “If six people had died in a mine, or in any other workplace on land, there would be uproar,” McDornan told 60 Minutes. >click to read<21:48
F/V Dianne: Mystery remains after search fails to find any bodies
Queensland police have confirmed that no human remains have been found inside the salvaged trawler FV Dianne after inspecting the vessel at Bundaberg port. Disaster Victim Identification officers scoured the wreck on Thursday and Friday, but hopes for closure for the families of the missing men was not forthcoming. Police have recovered a number of personal items from the vessel, Video >click to read<09:32
F/V Dianne: Experts work through the wet to get answers
Investigations into the sinking of MV Dianne are continuing today at the Bundaberg Port Marina site. Firefighters were at the scene early yesterday morning to assess the safety of the vessel before investigation teams could go on board. NewsMail photographer Tahlia Stehbens was on the ground and said the area was a hive of emergency services officers.,, “Two ambulance vehicles are also on scene as well as police officers. A cleaning service has just started pumping out waste from the trawler.” The area was cordoned off to media and the public. >click to read< 21:08
F/V Dianne Recovery: Specialist teams ready for investigation
THE MV Dianne has now been transferred to dry land. Crews worked for most of today to correctly balance the fishing trawler on to a travelift so it could be moved from the oceanfront of the Bundaberg Port Marina. It is now on land and in a secure location. The Queensland Fire Service scientific team and urban rescue team will examine the safety of the vessel first thing tomorrow morning before investigations commence. Specialist teams, including a disaster victim identification team, are on standby as part of investigations surrounding the MV Dianne’s tragic sinking in October last year. >click to read< 10:32
Recovered: Sunken fishing trawler Dianne to be lifted on to land
A fishing trawler in which six men died last year will be lifted on to land four months after it sank off the Queensland coast. The FV Dianne was partially raised last Monday, and crews towed it to the Port of Bundaberg on Friday where it will be lifted on to land on Tuesday for further investigation into why it sank. Water will be pumped from the boat as authorities prepare to lift it out, with poor weather hindering several attempts to bring the wreckage to shore. >click to read<23:22
DIANNE RECOVERED: Bodies may be inside ill-fated trawler – >click to read<
Sunken trawler Dianne finally removed from the ocean floor
The fishing vessel Dianne has been partially raised from the sea floor. This afternoon the RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service was tasked to search for excess debris from the sunken vessel floating off the coast of Seventeen Seventy. The aerial search was requested after salvage crews managed to partly lift the trawler from her resting place 30m under the sea, where she has been lying since October 16, 2017. Following the partial raising of the Dianne on Monday, the vessel was towed underwater to shallower waters,,, >click to read< 13:17
Police divers and salvage crews are preparing to raise the sunken fishing vessel Dianne
The Dianne overturned in Bustard Bay overturned in Bustard Bay on October 16 with six crewmen on board.,,, The Observer understands the salvage of the Dianne is being conducted at the direction of Maritime Safety Queensland, though the incident remains a matter for the State Coroner. The divers will be accompanied by officers from the water police, scenes of crime, and disaster victim identification units, as well as the Criminal Investigation Branch. click here to read the story 12:21
‘My heart has been broken’: Sole survivor of trawler tragedy which left six fishermen dead breaks his silence
The sole survivor of the Queensland trawler tragedy which left six young fishermen dead has broken his silence in an emotional tribute to his late friends. Ruben McDornan, 32, was one of seven men aboard cucumber trawler Dianne when it capsized in treacherous seas off the town of Seventeen Seventy last month. The bodies of Adam Hoffman and Ben Leahy were found in the sunken boat five days after the desperate search began. Four men, Adam Bidner, Chris Sammut, Eli Tonks and Zach Feeney, have not been found. click here to read the story 10:58
Cairns remembers mateship of seven men aboard F/V Dianne
Mateship. The word stood one metre high in white across the stage at Cairns’ Munro Martin Parklands, where the community gathered to reflect on the bond of seven mates from slug boat Dianne, while local singer Andrea Mullens sung Stand by Me, Hallelujah, Candle in the Wind and The Sailor’s Hymn.,, Speaking to hundreds of people gathered for the community reflection on Tuesday night, Dianne’s second crew skipper Adam Kelly, who was not on the boat that day, said he was thankful and privileged to have spent time with his mates. “They’ll always be legends in my eyes – every single one of them,” he said. click here to read the story 10:28
The Agnes Water/1770 Community Fundraiser for the “Families & Children of FV Dianne”
The Agnes Water/1770 Community has set this fund up on behalf of the families of Cairns based fishermen Adam Bidner, Zachary Feeney, Adam Hoffman, Ben Leahy, Chris Sammut, Eli Tonks and Ruben McDornan off the fishing vessel “FV Dianne” which tragically sunk during wild storms off the Central Coast of Queensland last week. Seven families have been affected by this tragedy. Six husbands fathers and sons have been lost in the most tragic of circumstances, with only one survivor who was rescued in tretcherous seas after fighting for his life in the wildest conditions imaginable. The purpose of this fund is to help ease the financial burden that these families have now incurred through this tragedy. click here to donate 11:00
F/V Dianne – Four fishermen still missing after second day of police searches
Police divers have been unable to find any of the four missing crew members after a second day scouring sunken fishing trawler Dianne off the central Queensland coast. Gladstone Patrol Inspector Darren Somerville said divers cleared the vessel and its immediate surroundings of debris but could not find any find any sign of the four fishermen. “Obviously the timeframe for survival expired some time ago, and that timeframe was whether they were in the vessel or even if they were in the water,” he said. click here to read the story 12:03
Two bodies recovered from sunken F/V Dianne, debris hampering police diver search
Police divers could only spend 13 minutes underwater at a time on Saturday and the last dive was conducted about 4.30pm. The police vessel Conroy was expected to bring the bodies back to Gladstone for formal identification on Saturday night, before heading back out to guard the scene until the morning. “We’re still clearing debris from the wheelhouse and just starting to get below,” Inspector Somerville said. click here to read the story 08:40
Sunken fishing trawler Dianne found by searchers off Queensland coast
Police say they have found the commercial fishing trawler Dianne in which six men are believed to have drowned when it sank in heavy seas on Monday night. The sea cucumber fishing boat was detected by sonar about two to three nautical miles off Round Hill Headland, near Seventeen Seventy. Police confirmed the discovery in a statement released just after 6:00pm today. Water Police will remain at the scene overnight and a full recovery operation will commence tomorrow morning. Twelve boats were involved in today’s operation, along with a helicopter and several vehicles that patrolled the shoreline. At least one of the boats was fitted with side scan sonar, using soundwaves to detect any possible man-made items under the water. click here to read the story 08:36
Reunion for trawler survivor as search moves from rescue to recovery
Ruben McDornan, so far the only survivor from a sunken trawler with seven on board, has had an emotional reunion with his wife and mother at Gladstone Airport, after being plucked from the rough seas by a passing yacht on Tuesday morning. Police have conceded it would be “a miracle” to find any of the other six missing fishermen alive, with the search and rescue moving towards a “recovery” operation on Thursday. “Our thoughts are with the boys missing at the moment because they’re all like family,” Ms McDornan said through tears. click here to read the story 08:54
Six fishermen feared dead off trawler screamed from inside boat as crewmate clung to hull
SIX fishermen now feared dead were screaming from inside their sinking boat while a crewmate clung to the hull after it capsized off the central Queensland coast. Ruben McDornan survived for 12 hours in heavy seas and before he was plucked to safety after a yacht found him by sheer luck early yesterday. Their boat Dianne overturned near Middle Island, about 20km northeast of the Town of 1770, at 7.30pm on Monday before it sank about midnight. click here to read the story 08:24
Police to resume search for crew of sunken trawler – click here to read the story 17:31
