DAMIEN BROWN
July 09, 2008 12:00am
MYSTERY surrounds how a fishing boat sank off Tasmania's remote southwest coast, killing a father and son from Hobart.
The bodies of Darrel and Mark Howells were left floating in the ocean for several hours after their cray boat Yoothamurra sank in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Darrel, 69, and Mark, 47, of Claremont, were pulling craypots when the boat sank near Low Rocky Point.
The men's bodies were found floating with other debris by fellow rock lobster fishers just after 7am.
Police said the Yoothamurra had sunk, making it difficult to determine exactly what caused the tragedy.
No emergency beacon was activated, making it likely that there was a problem with the 13.73m vessel.
It was built in 1978 and was a regular sight at Hobart's Victoria Docks, where it was based.
The bodies were flown to Hobart yesterday afternoon.
The men's grieving family last night said they were too distressed to speak about the incident. |