EARLIER: Police unable to find man after boat capsizes POLICE are urging Tasmanians to always wear life jackets when out on the water, following the death of an experienced deckhand off the state's South Coast. The body of 73-year-old Allan Geoffrey Russell, known as Joe, was discovered early on Wednesday morning about a kilometre offshore. The Dover fisherman went missing on Tuesday afternoon after his dinghy capsized. Mr Russell had been abalone fishing with another man, who police say was underwater when a large swell hit their vessel in otherwise fine conditions. ''The diver noticed he had no air and came to the surface,'' Inspector Lee Renshaw said. ''He found the dinghy was upturned and his deckhand was hanging onto the side of the vessel.'' Inspector Renshaw said he held onto Mr Russell for almost an hour. ''He tried as best as possible to attach his deckhand to the upturned dinghy by using his hook line and all sorts of things, but sadly all those efforts were futile,'' he said. ''The deckhand had no strength left and he fell away into the water.'' The diver swam to some remote rocks, activated a safety beacon, and was rescued on Tuesday afternoon. Police then searched for Mr Russell on water and in the air for five hours, before abandoning their efforts late on Tuesday night. A search and rescue team resumed at first light on Wednesday morning, finding his body about 7.30am. His body was retrieved and brought ashore by two friends and a fellow fisherman. ''Dover is a normal fishing community where everybody knows everybody,'' Inspector Renshaw said. ''Sadly the deceased is a person who has lived in Dover for a long time, so he'd be very well known down there.'' Inspector Renshaw said the diver, who is physically fine, was being offered counselling and support. So too are the two fishermen and Mr Russell's family. Mr Russell was not wearing a life jacket when his vessel capsized. Inspector Renshaw said there was a clear message to be drawn from the tragedy. ''The message we say over and over and over again is to wear PFDs (personal flotation devices),'' he said. ''If this gentleman had have been wearing a Stormy Seas or another form of personal flotation device, the result may have been different.'' A report is being prepared for the coroner.
POLICE are urging Tasmanians to always wear life jackets when out on the water, following the death of an experienced deckhand off the state's South Coast.
The body of 73-year-old Allan Geoffrey Russell, known as Joe, was discovered early on Wednesday morning about a kilometre offshore.
The Dover fisherman went missing on Tuesday afternoon after his dinghy capsized.
Mr Russell had been abalone fishing with another man, who police say was underwater when a large swell hit their vessel in otherwise fine conditions.
''The diver noticed he had no air and came to the surface,'' Inspector Lee Renshaw said.
''He found the dinghy was upturned and his deckhand was hanging onto the side of the vessel.''
Inspector Renshaw said he held onto Mr Russell for almost an hour.
''He tried as best as possible to attach his deckhand to the upturned dinghy by using his hook line and all sorts of things, but sadly all those efforts were futile,'' he said.
''The deckhand had no strength left and he fell away into the water.''
The diver swam to some remote rocks, activated a safety beacon, and was rescued on Tuesday afternoon.
Police then searched for Mr Russell on water and in the air for five hours, before abandoning their efforts late on Tuesday night.
A search and rescue team resumed at first light on Wednesday morning, finding his body about 7.30am.
His body was retrieved and brought ashore by two friends and a fellow fisherman.
''Dover is a normal fishing community where everybody knows everybody,'' Inspector Renshaw said.
''Sadly the deceased is a person who has lived in Dover for a long time, so he'd be very well known down there.''
Inspector Renshaw said the diver, who is physically fine, was being offered counselling and support.
So too are the two fishermen and Mr Russell's family.
Mr Russell was not wearing a life jacket when his vessel capsized.
Inspector Renshaw said there was a clear message to be drawn from the tragedy.
''The message we say over and over and over again is to wear PFDs (personal flotation devices),'' he said.
''If this gentleman had have been wearing a Stormy Seas or another form of personal flotation device, the result may have been different.''
