Gavin STUDWELL
Gavin Studwell's father and friends stand on rocks at the Seaway as the
search for him went on. Pic: Mike Batterham
Police are co-ordinating a search for a man believed missing after
his boat capsized and sank off the Gold Coast.An air search is
underway after police were alerted to the situation around 2am.
At this time, the primary search area is the stretch of coast
between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.
There is no further information available at this stage.
Anyone with information which could assist police with their
investigations should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333
000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day.
Crime Stoppers is a charitable community volunteer
organisation working in partnership with the Queensland Police Service.
The search continues this afternoon for 39-year-old Worongary man,
Gavin Studwell, who went missing in waters off Surfers Paradise
overnight.Police have located an Esky, a jacket and a bucket
that belonged to the boat. The submerged vessel has not yet been
located.
A 29-year-old woman who was on the boat managed to swim to shore
and raise the alarm shortly around 2am today.
The woman has told police she and the man had been fishing off
shore when the 4.2 metre fibreglass boat was struck by a freak wave and
the pair were thrown into the ocean.
The boat took on water and sunk.
The couple were treading water together for some time when they
became separated.
The woman managed to swim to shore getting out of the water at
Main Beach.
The search has been hampered by rain this afternoon cancelling the
helicopters. How ever searches are continuing this afternoon and
tonight.
Anyone with information which could assist police with their
investigations should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333
000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day.
Search resumes for missing Gold Coast fisherman
Updated
April 19, 2012 06:47:41 - ABC
The search for a missing fisherman on Queensland's Gold
Coast has resumed this morning.
Gavin Studwell, 39, from Worongary on the Gold Coast hinterland, and a
29-year-old woman had been fishing in a boat off Surfers Paradise on Tuesday
night.
The boat was hit by two waves and sank.
The woman eventually made it to shore to raise the alarm after three hours
in the water.
An extensive air, sea and ground search has been unable to find Mr
Studwell.
Several items have been recovered including a black jacket, ice box and
bucket.
Rain forced authorities to suspend the aerial search yesterday but water
police continued to scour the ocean throughout the night.
Salvi Vinaccia worked with Mr Studwell and says he respected the ocean.
"He loved sort of exploring the ocean and seeing what was out there really
- he always came back with a fishing tale - he was full of life," he said.
Man missing after boat sinks
By Russell Varley and Charmaine Kane - ABC
Updated
April 19, 2012 05:52:43
A 39-year-old fisherman is still missing after his boat sank
off the Gold Coast on Tuesday night.
Gavin Studwell was fishing with a 29-year-old woman when his
four-metre-long homemade fibreglass boat was swamped.
The woman managed to swim to safety and raised the alarm.
Police and lifesavers spent the day searching for Mr Studwell, using
helicopters, boats and jet skis, but are yet to locate the sunken boat.
Several items have been recovered, including a black jacket, ice box and
bucket.
Rain has forced authorities to suspend the aerial search, but water police
plan to continue to scour the ocean throughout the evening.
The ranger on South Stradbroke Island is also checking beaches for any
sign of the missing man.
Mr Studwell, from Worongary on the Gold Coast hinterland, told the seaway
tower he was going out in his boat at 8:00pm and would return at 8:00am on
Wednesday.
Taken by surprise
The officer in charge of the Gold Coast Water Police, Senior Sergeant
Lucas Young, says the pair swam together but only the woman made it ashore at
Main Beach about three hours after the boat sank, around 2:00am (AEST).
Senior Sergeant Young says the couple were taken by surprise.
He says the pair had no time to grab emergency gear or activate an EPIRB
distress signal.
"A second wave has caught them and the boat has more or less sunk from
underneath them - it was very quick and didn't see it coming," he said.
"Around the time we were told it occurred it would have been a bit of a
freak [wave] around the change of tide time as well."
Senior Sergeant Young says the woman is in hospital suffering mild
hypothermia, shock and exhaustion.
"She was very fatigued and as she told us it took her some time to get up
the beach to raise the alarm once she got out of the water," he said.
Senior Sergeant Young says the woman told authorities the pair had had
voice contact with each other in the water.
"They were struggling to see each other visually," he said.
"After a couple of hours she called and couldn't hear him any more.
He says the woman has told authorities the pair were were fishing north of
the Q1 building at Surfers Paradise.
"She could identify the Q1 to her south," he said.
"With tidal movements and water currents, we are looking in an area from
about Q1 north about five or six nautical miles.
"We also have Brisbane water police - they have crossed Jumpinpin Bar.
"They are heading south along also conducting searches as well and heading
our way."
Experienced fisherman
Senior Sergeant Young says the man is an experienced offshore fisherman.
"He did the right thing. He booked on with the Seaway Tower before he went
out and told them when he was due to return," he said.
"From what we have been told he did carry the correct safety gear. He knew
what he was about."
Senior Sergeant Young says the 4.2 metre fibreglass boat was homemade but
seaworthy.
"Absolutely - he's been offshore with this boat numerous times and that's
not an issue with us," he said.
Salvi Vinaccia worked with Mr Studwell and says he respected the ocean.
"He loved exploring the ocean and seeing what was out there. He always
came back with a fishing tale," Mr Vinaccia said. "He was full of life."
Fishing trip ends in terrifying ordeal
Robyn Wuth and Stephanie
Bedo | 12:01am April 19, 2012 - Gold Coast.com.au
IT was meant to be just another night on the water, a couple of mates
sharing their love of tossing in a line.But this overnight
trip would end in terror, with Kandice Tommy, 29, swimming for her life
through shark-infested waters and her friend Gavin Studwell, 39, lost at
sea.
The search for missing Studwell resumed this morning,
with helicopters, jet skis, boats and shoreline searches under way
covering from Surfers Paradise to waters off South Stradbrook Island and
up to 4.5 nautical miles off shore.
The pair had been planning the Tuesday night trip for weeks.
Tides were right and the calm conditions were perfect.
They dropped Mr Studwell's home-made 4m fibreglass twin hull into
the water at Loders Creek and set off through the Gold Coast Seaway
about 8pm.
Meticulous about safety, Mr Studwell clocked on at 8pm and told
the Seaway tower they would return by 8am.
Ms Tommy said the pair headed south, just drifting with the
currents in the moonlight, and settled opposite a high rise that `looked
like a teardrop', which police believe was the Q1 building.
Some time before midnight two freak waves hit, sinking the twin
hull and tossing Ms Tommy and Mr Studwell into the pitch black water.
They had no choice but to try to swim back to shore.
Ms Tommy told friends they set out together and that Mr Studwell
was the stronger swimmer but she lost sight of him in the darkness.
They kept in touch for a time by yelling to each other but Ms
Tommy eventually could no longer hear Mr Studwell's voice and had to
continue alone, not knowing if he was alive.
Ms Tommy struggled against the current for almost four hours and
was swept almost 6km north before she was able to struggle ashore at
Main Beach.
Exhausted and suffering from exposure, it took her more than 30
minutes to stagger up the beach to raise the alarm at the luxury
Sheraton Mirage Hotel.
Greg Gapp, a friend of Mr Studwell and Ms Tommy who works with the
pair at the Silkwood School, visited Ms Tommy in hospital and said it
had been a `traumatic ordeal'.
"It was an absolutely harrowing thing for her to go through," Mr
Gapp said.
"She has an incredible amount of resilience, to be by yourself for
hours in the open water in the middle of the night ... it was a terrible
thing for her.
"She's still in shock."
As the search continued throughout the day, Mr Studwell's father
cut a despairing figure as he stood on the Seaway rocks, staring out to
sea for any sign of his son.
Mr Studwell's partner Donna was at the couple's Worongary home
being comforted by friends.
Mr Gapp said Mr Studwell and Ms Tommy were great friends and
bonded instantly -- over fishing -- when they met at work at the
Silkwood School.
Mr Studwell started work this year at the school as groundkeeper
and soon struck a close friendship with school administration officer Ms
Tommy.
Mr Gapp said the school community was devastated by the tragedy
but was refusing to give up hope.
"We're still desperately hoping that Gavin is found," he said.
"He is such a lovely bloke. Quietly spoken and very hardworking.
The school grounds are meticulous."
He said Mr Studwell was an experienced offshore fisherman and even
brought his boat to school at times.
"He loved fishing. That's when he really became animated when he
was talking about fishing," he said.
"He was an excellent boatman and fisherman. He was fit and
healthy.
"We want him back, safe and sound."
Gold Coast water police chief Senior-Sergeant Lucas Young said the
pair had life jackets on board but weren't wearing them.
The boat sank so quickly they did not have time to put the life
vests on.
He said the boat had not been found but a jacket, confirmed as the
woman's, had been recovered off Surfers.
As well as a massive air and sea search, water police and
lifesavers yesterday combed the beaches, including those on remote South
Stradbroke Island, in case the man had washed ashore.
He said even though the boat was home-made, it would have been
inspected by Marine Safety Queensland before being registered.
Yesterday afternoon, Mr Studwell's Nissan Pathfinder and boat
trailer remained in the Loders Creek car park, with a police note under
the wipers.
"If you return, please contact Runaway Bay police station."
Search for missing fisherman widens
Updated
April 20, 2012 14:31:48 - ABC
The search for a missing Gold Coast fisherman has been
extended over a larger area.
Police say they hold grave fears for 39-year-old Gavin Studwell, whose
boat sank off Surfers Paradise on Tuesday night.
Helicopters, boats, jet skis and quad vehicles are again in use today.
Around 60 SES personnel will search sand dunes and bushland on South
Stradbroke Island and further north to Jumpinpin Bar.
The Gold Coast's chief lifeguard, Warren Young, says his staff are also
involved.
"We've got all our guys on the northern end keeping an eye out, of course
the water police are directing the search and they'll have the helicopter up
there because these conditions are a bit misty with a salt haze," he said.
"It's fairly difficult to see so I'd say the helicopter will be the best
bet, we'll have our jet skis out just in case to respond."
Search continues for missing Gold Coast fisherman
By Russell Varley- ABC
Posted
April 24, 2012 07:33:07
The scaled-down search for a missing fisherman is continuing
off Queensland's Gold Coast.
An extensive air, sea and ground search was mounted last week to find
39-year-old Gavin Studwell, whose boat was hit by waves and sank during a
fishing trip off Surfers Paradise.
Water Police Senior Sergeant Lucas Young says there has been no sign of
the boat.
"The boat I would suggest from our information is on the bottom and well
offshore," he said.
"The priority is Mr Studwell at this stage so he's our primary concern and
we're focussing all our efforts there."