Two men rescued after boat sinks in Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River

As two men waited to be rescued from the murky waters of the river, they saw two red reptilian eyes flash back at them in the dark. Read their incredible story.

Deane Welch who was on a boat that sank in the the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton on February 11, 2024. Picture: Aden Stokes

As two men waited to be rescued in the murky waters of the Fitzroy River, with their boat slowly sinking beneath the surface, they saw two red reptilian eyes staring back at them in the dark.

Rockhampton shipwright Deane Welch had just finished putting a trimaran together and decided to take it “for a little spin” on the Fitzroy River with his friend Roy on Sunday afternoon.

“We didn’t intend to go far because it was around 5pm by the time we put the boat in the water,” he said.

Mr Welch said they started taking on water and tried to turn the vessel around, however, the wind and tide took them across to the other side of the river.

He said the motor was too powerful for the boat and too heavy for the stern.

“The motor kept stalling,” he said.

“Didn’t quite pan out the way we wanted to.

“Whatever could happen, happened.”

Mr Welch said when they got to the other side of the river, they pulled the vessel up the onto the bank and bailed all the water out of it.

“We hopped back into the water and started to head back across and the motor just died,” he said.

The Fitzroy River in Rockhampton where a boat sank on February 11. Picture: Aden Stokes

Mr Welch said he and Roy were sitting on the sinking vessel for three hours, with one holding a phone and the other a torch.

“All our life jackets and safety gear had washed away,” he said.

“It wasn’t a lot of fun.

“I called triple-0 and they got the SES out and the police and the ambulance.

“We were lucky.”

Police were called to the incident off Emu Park Road at 7.30pm.

A spokeswoman for Queensland Police Service said after taking the boat back onto the river, it started taking on water again.

“They couldn’t bail it out faster than it was taking on water,” the spokeswoman said.

SES senior local controller Eddie Cowie said they received a call to support the Queensland Police Service after reports that two men were in the water and required immediate rescue.

Mr Cowie said the boat sank not far from the Lakes Creek Slipway.

SES local controller Eddie Cowie. Picture: Zak Simmonds

He said the SES was able to launch a rescue boat into the Fitzroy River.

“It was quite dark,” he said.

He said crews were able to find the two men in the water, where they were rescued and returned to land and assessed by paramedics for exposure to the elements.

Queensland Ambulance Service stated neither of the men required transport to hospital.

Mr Cowie said the boat was fully submerged and had sank to the bottom of the river.

The spokeswoman for Queensland Police Service said Maritime Safety Queensland had been notified of the incident.

Mr Cowie said there was an emergency marker in the river and that a notice to mariners had been issued by Maritime Safety Queensland for boaties to be aware of the submerged boat.

Mr Welch said the emergency services did a great job.

“We were sitting there and every now and then we would flash our torch up so they knew we were all right and they give us a ring,” he said.

“I said, ‘you better hurry because I got water in the bottom of my mouth’.”

‘CROCODILE EYES’ SPOTTED IN THE DARK

Mr Welch said they also saw a set of red crocodile eyes up on the banks of the river, which suddenly disappeared.

“That’s the worst part because you don’t know where they are,” he said.

“I tried not to think.

“I think I would prefer death by drowning than death by crocodile.

“Fortunately, the guys arrived and brought us back to shore.

“The boat is still out there somewhere. It is sitting down there on the bottom now.”

Mr Welch said the ordeal wouldn’t keep him off the river.

“I’ve got saltwater running through my veins,” he said.

“I’ve lived on the water for years.”

Mr Welch said the yacht he had anchored in the Fitzroy River was back on Monday morning after disappearing on Saturday.

“I hadn’t seen it since until I walked down here this morning and low and behold it’s back,” he said.

“I got a phone call from the water police that Wombat was dragging anchor and heading toward open sea.

“We took a nice big boat and went down the river and nothing.

“I will take my dinghy for a row in a minute to check it out.”

Maritime Safety Queensland was contacted for comment.