Gulf Livestock 1 shipwreck: Family plea for missing Will Mainprize
Will Mainprize has been lost at sea for nine days but his Avalon family, who has not given up hope he is alive, are urging authorities to keep searching.
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A northern beaches’ family has refused to give up hope that their brother and son will be found alive after the ship he was working on disappeared in a typhoon.
Will Mainprize, 27, from Avalon, is still lost at sea after the cargo ship he was working on capsized and sunk off the coast of Japan nine days ago.
Mr Mainprize, 27, who moved to Tasmania in 2017, was working as a stockman on the livestock vessel sailing from New Zealand to China with more than 40 crew on-board.
After rescuing two crewmen from the ship, the Gulf Livestock 1, Japanese maritime authorities called off the search on Wednesday.
Now his brother Tom, and one the missing man’s best friends, are urging the Australian Government to push the Japanese to resume the search.
Mr Mainprize’s father Andrew, mother Belinda, and his other siblings, Sarah and Emily, have thanked the Japanese Coast Guard, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority for their help so far, but expressed regret at the decision to stop the search.
“We are so thankful to those organisations and the Australian public for their thoughts and prayers but we need more help,” a spokesman for the family said.
“There are still so many unanswered questions and this is a time sensitive matter. There are 40 men still at sea and one lifeboat missing along with life rafts.
“We are hopeful that our dear William is out there with the other remaining crew waiting to be rescued.”
In a statement the family described him as a kind and generous person who was dedicated to make a positive contribution to everything around him.
As a student at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, he worked as a teacher’s aide focused on at-risk youths. After moving to Tasmania he worked as a wilderness tour guide helping teach survival skills to young people.
“He has a beautiful calm, brave and fun approach to life,’ the statement said.
“As a family we know he would have been so brave during this tragic incident involving the Gulf Livestock 1 ship … and he no doubt would have been looking out for the other crew members on board in the middle of the crisis.”
Tom Mainprize, speaking to Channel 9’s Today program, said his brother may have had time to get into a lifeboat.
“With 40 people still missing, we just think it’s very strange that they’ve just scaled down the search,” Mr Mainprize told Today.
“If anyone is going to survive and help all the other rest of the missing crew out, it’s Will.
“We just need everyone, not only our government but all the other governments that are involved, even private enterprise, whoever can help us, help with the search and whoever it may be to search that area and scale it up a little bit more. That’s all we’re really asking for.”
In an emotional Facebook post, Tom Suttorr, a university friend of Mr Mainprize, called for search and rescue efforts to resume.
“I believe the Australian government needs to take some responsibility and assist in the search,” Mr Suttorr wrote. “Or at least offer assistance.
“Surely the Australian government can offer some resources to assist them.
“Our best mate is currently missing off the Japanese coast … It is so, so hard for me to comprehend that this can happen in 2020.”