Police have found the sunken trawler ‘Dianne’ with sonar detecting the vessel off the central Queensland coast on Friday afternoon.
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The vessel was located about two to three nautical miles off Round Hill Headland near the town of Seventeen Seventy and water police will remain at the scene overnight.
Glen Innes man Eli Tonks, 39, is still missing.
The former Glen Innes High School student was about to get married to his Canadian fiancee.
His family said they were not ready to give up hope.
“We have not given up hope, and will not give up until they are found,” they told police.
Police are urging local people to keep their eyes open on beaches for debris south of Rockhampton.
“Officers from the Dive Squad have arrived in Gladstone and will be deployed as part of the search today, as weather conditions have improved,” a Queensland police spokesperson said.
“Expert advice is that the window of survivability has now passed, and the search and rescue mission has now transitioned into the recovery phase.
“This advice has been passed on to the family of the six men.”
Family of the missing men chartered two boats and joined the search on Friday, with another relative acting as a spotter in a fixed-wing aircraft and the rest patrolling the coastline on foot.
“It's still very tough for them, obviously they (families) are very concerned,” Inspector Darren Somerville said.
“Until they (missing men) are located, there will always be some sort of slim hope.”
The sole survivor, Ruben McDornan, was reunited with his wife and mother on Thursday, after being plucked from rough seas by a passing yacht on Tuesday morning.
Police said he remained in Gladstone with his mother and wife and had offered to help with the investigation, but was yet to return to the water.