There has been a tragic end to a family fishing trip off the Port Lincoln coast, after five people were thrown from a boat on Monday, 25 March.
Two people, Flinders University professor Danny Eckert and his 13-year-old son, were found alive on a reef around 2am yesterday, 26 March, and three people were found deceased throughout the day – two members of the Eckert family and the boat’s skipper.
Superintendent Paul Bahr says the two rescued described what happened.
“They reported that about 4pm… they were fishing near Spilsby Island when they were swamped by a wave, overturning the boat and throwing everyone in the water,” Superintendent Bahr says.
Police are now preparing reports for the coroner, and are looking into whether the boat was carrying life jackets.
“That will all be part of the inquiry we now need to make, in terms of what safety equipment was on board and whether proper regulations have been covered in terms of what they required for that far out at sea.”
