The body of a 49-year-old man missing in waters off Bushie Islet, Cape York since yesterday was located this morning by search crews.
The man had been reported missing after he failed to surface from a spear fishing dive in waters off Bushie Islet, in the Cairncross Island Group, approximately three nautical miles off the east coast of Cape York.
The Cairns man was reported missing by a friend who had been diving with him at the time. Preliminary information indicates that the second man returned to a moored boat around 12.30pm to discover that the other man had failed to return.
An air and sea search coordinated by federal authorities was launched yesterday afternoon with initial searches locating some of the man’s equipment. Control of the search was handed to the Queensland Police Service last evening.
Soon after the re-commencement of the search this morning the man’s body was located by Water Police officers in waters off the northern beaches of Bushy Islet.
A post mortem examination will be conducted to assist with determining the man’s cause of death, however there are indications that he may have been injured by a marine animal.
Police will prepare a report for the coroner with the death being treated as non suspicious.
The waters in Far North Queensland are well known crocodile areas.
