July 25, 2008 -
12:00AM
The Miss Melissa
is not expected
to be refloated
until at least
tomorrow but a
crowd of
onlookers has
flocked to
Mooloolaba Beach
today to see the
stricken
trawler.
A salvage crew has
been trying
unsuccessfully to
right the boat this
afternoon. Once it
is upright, they
will still have to
wait for the seas to
calm before calling
for a tug from
Brisbane to help
move it off the
beach.
It is understood the
Miss Melissa’s cargo
of prawns will not
be able to be
salvaged, with the
trawler inundated
with sand and water.
Meanwhile, a shore
search is continuing
for 32-year-old
deckhand and
father-of-three Mark
“Macca” Wray, who
has not been seen
since before the
boat ran aground just
north of Mooloolaba
Surf Life Saving
Club about 7pm on
Wednesday.
A sea search, in
what police
described as
atrocious
conditions, was
suspended about noon
yesterday when sea
sickness began to
fell even
experienced boat
crew members.
The air search was
suspended shortly
afterwards.
Sunshine Coast water
police sergeant Kyle
Bates told
thedaily.com.au this
morning that the air
and sea search for
Mr Wray had been
scaled down, and
efforts today would
focus on the
foreshore between
Mooloolaba and Noosa
North Shore. Police,
lifeguards and a
helicopter will be
involved in the
shore search.
Sergeant Bates said
the decision to cut
back the search had
been made after
consultation with
medical experts
about Mr Wray's
chances of survival
after such a long
time in wild seas,
with the likelihood
of finding him alive
described as
"diminished".
Trawler runs aground
However, friends and
family, who described
the missing man as a
good deckhand and an
adoring father, remained
hopeful yesterday of
a miracle.
Ironically, it is
just six months
since Mr Wray was
asked to unveil a
statue at Mooloolaba
dedicated to missing
Sunshine Coast
fishermen.
Coast fishing
identity Doc Dooley
said his mate Macca,
as Mr Wray is known
among other trawler
workers, was fit,
strong and a good
swimmer and would
pull through if
anyone could.
“I reckon he’ll
crawl up on a beach
somewhere,” he said.
However, police, who
were initially
informed that Mr
Wray was not a good
swimmer, were not as
confident.
Commercial fishing
boats joined coast
guard crews from
Noosa, Mooloolaba
and Caloundra, the
water police and
four helicopters in
braving a 5.5-metre
swell and 40-knot
winds yesterday to
search a combined
area stretching more
than 120 nautical
miles.
Visibility was poor
and the search was
made even more
difficult by the
fact that police
could not pinpoint
where or when Mr
Wray had disappeared
from the boat.
Sgt Bates said the
experienced seaman
had been at the helm
of the boat while
the skipper and
another crew member
slept as they made
their way in on
auto-pilot after 16
days at sea.
Sgt Bates said Mr
Wray had been on the
phone for a series
of calls during the
90 minutes prior to
his disappearance.
His last call was
believed to have
been to his partner,
but the skipper’s
wife got no answer
when she tried to
call seven minutes
later, Sgt Bates
said.
The boat ran aground
40 minutes later,
but there was no
sign of Mr Wray as
the skipper and crew
members scrambled to
safety.
Rumours spread soon
afterwards that a
wet and distraught
man had been picked
up at Mooloolaba by
taxi.
However, Sgt Bates
said police had
found no proof that
Mr Wray had made it
ashore.
He said they had no
way of knowing if Mr
Wray disappeared
during the seven
minutes between
phone calls, if
reception was bad
when the skipper’s
wife tried to call,
nor whether he
disappeared during
the subsequent 40
minutes.
He speculated that
Mr Wray may have
stepped outside on
to the deck of the
boat to check
equipment, or in
attempt to get
better phone
reception, and had
fallen overboard.
“A phone call to a
friend reported that
he was happy. There
was nothing to
indicate that there
was any sort of
problem on the
boat,” Sgt Bates
said.
Police were in
contact yesterday
with two doctors to
assess Mr Wray’s
chances of survival
in the water.
Sgt Bates said he
was last seen by his
crew mates wearing a
T-shirt and shorts.
It was not known if
he might have any
sort of floatation
device.
Initial reports
suggested that an
attempt would be
made to refloat the
Miss Melissa on
yesterday’s high
tide, but she
remained stuck fast
and full of water in
the afternoon.
There was no sign of
any salvage bids.
Attempts by the
Daily to contact her
owner, Alan Trickey,
were unsuccessful.
Mr Wray’s family
attended the
Mooloolaba Coast
Guard centre
yesterday to speak
to police but
declined to comment
to media.
Sgt Bates said they
were taking news of
his disappearance
hard, but were
trying to remain
positive.
Mr Wray is the
father of two sons,
9 and 10, and he has
a two-year-old
daughter from a
subsequent
relationship.
Noosa Coast Guard
rescue skipper Peter
Brady described
conditions during
yesterday’s search
as trying, but much
easier than on
Tuesday night.
“If there’d been
something out there
... we would have
seen it,” Mr Brady
said.