Face of Nation : A large scale search is underway for five people, reported missing after their empty boat floating west of their original destination in the Torres Strait Islands, on Friday afternoon.
Search crews are bracing strong winds and heavy rain as they search coastline off the Torres Strait in search of the family presumably lost at sea. Two men, two women and a 9-year-old boy set sail in the 7-metre boat from Badu Island, a small island located 50km from Queensland’s Thursday Island on Wednesday afternoon.
But the discovery of a young child’s body has taken a tragic turn, as police work to determine whether it belongs to the boy in the boat. The group, which included a 22-year-old man, 47-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 21-year-old woman and the young child, had plans to travel to Dauan Island, but they never arrived.
Instead, their empty boat was located roughly 4.5km west of Dauan Island about 1.50pm on Friday. It is understood the missing group was related to one another.
A statement by Queensland Police said a rescue operation was activated. “Water and air efforts were commenced immediately upon receiving information that the vessel was overdue using rotary aircraft,” the statement said.
During the wide spread search and rescue operation of the Torres Strait, the body of a young, unidentified child was found in a village on the mainland of Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea authorities discovered the child’s body near Old Mawatta Village, which is outside the perimeter of the official search area, on Friday.
