Boating accident off Tasmania’s northwest coast kills one, three rescued after capsizing
Consensus Summary
A tragic boating accident off Tasmania’s northwest coast on Saturday evening resulted in the death of a 35-year-old man and the rescue of three others—including a 27-year-old woman, a 33-year-old man, and a six-year-old child—after their fishing vessel capsized near Robbins Passage and Stony Point. All four had departed Montagu boat ramp around 5:30pm, and the incident occurred roughly 9pm, throwing them into the water. The three survivors, all wearing life jackets, were found floating near Big Stony Island around 1pm Sunday after spending 16 hours in the ocean, while the missing man’s body was later discovered on Monday on the eastern side of Robbins Island. Emergency services, including Tasmania Police and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, conducted extensive air and water searches. The family—comprising the woman, man, and child—were staying at Montagu campground before the trip, and relatives alerted authorities when they failed to return by Sunday morning. Investigators confirmed the 35-year-old, who was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident, was friends with the family. The vessel remains unrecovered, and police are preparing a coroner’s report.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Four people—three adults (ages 27, 33, and 35) and a six-year-old child—were on a fishing trip from Montagu boat ramp near Smithton around 5:30pm Saturday
- The vessel capsized around 9pm Saturday, throwing all four occupants into the water off Tasmania’s northwest coast (Robbins Passage/Stony Point area)
- Three survivors (27yo woman, 33yo man, and six-year-old child) were found alive floating near Big Stony Island and Robbins Island around 1pm Sunday
- The missing 35-year-old man’s body was found on Monday on the eastern side of Robbins Island
- All three rescued survivors were wearing life jackets and taken to North West Regional Hospital for observation but were uninjured
- The group was staying at Montagu campground before the trip and relatives raised the alarm at ~8am Sunday after they failed to return
- Search efforts involved Tasmania Police, Westpac Rescue Helicopter, marine rescue vessels, and private boats
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The 35-year-old man was friends with the family (not explicitly stated in other sources)
- The missing man’s life jacket was reportedly taken off at some point (quote: ‘for other reasons’)
- The vessel has not yet been retrieved (no mention in NEWSCOMAU)
- Police said ‘two adults and a child were located in the water at Robbins Passage’ (NEWSCOMAU specifies Big Stony Island)
- The boating mishap occurred ‘about 9pm on Saturday’ (ABC uses ‘around 9pm’—no exact time in ABC’s first article)
- The group was found ‘floating in the ocean’ (ABC describes them as ‘in the water’ near Big Stony Island)
- The body was found ‘on Monday’ (ABC’s third article also states this, but first two ABC articles only mention ongoing search)
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC’s first article says the three rescued were found ‘in the water at Robbins Passage,’ but NEWSCOMAU and ABC’s third article specify they were found near Big Stony Island
- NEWSCOMAU states the group departed the Montagu boat ramp ‘about 5.30pm on Saturday,’ while ABC’s third article says ‘about 5:30pm Saturday’ (no time discrepancy, but phrasing varies)
- ABC’s first article does not mention the missing man’s age (35yo) or the exact time of body discovery, while NEWSCOMAU and ABC’s third article confirm these details
- ABC’s third article implies the 35-year-old ‘did not have a life jacket on’ at the time of the incident, but NEWSCOMAU does not specify this and ABC’s first article only says ‘three people rescued were wearing life jackets’ (no mention of the missing man)
- NEWSCOMAU says the body was found ‘on Monday,’ but ABC’s first article only reports an ongoing search without confirming the body’s discovery time
Source Articles
Search underway for missing man after three rescued at sea
Tasmania Police says three people have been rescued with, a man still missing, after a fishing boat "broke up" in waters off Tasmania's north-west coast....
Sad update after campers’ boating mishap
A group of campers were rescued after spending 16 hours in the ocean after their boat broke apart. However, one remained unaccounted for....
Body found in search for 35yo man who went missing after boat capsized
Police say a body has been found in the search for a 35-year-old man who went missing after a boating mishap in Tasmania's far north-west at the weekend....