Raffaele Pagliarini: Details before fatal boat fire on Johnstone River

An explosion on-board a sailing catamaran that claimed the life of a 66-year-old Ravenshoe man is understood to have been ruled an accident, police investigations have indicated.

An explosion on-board a sailing catamaran that claimed the life of a 66-year-old Ravenshoe man is understood to have been ruled an accident, police investigations have indicated.

On Saturday bystanders on the banks of the Johnstone River watched on powerless as the yacht became engulfed in flames.

The boat burnt to the waterline and later sunk.

Police have since confirmed a body believed to be Raffaele Pagliarini was located at the scene but due to the state of the remains DNA testing will be required.

It’s understood the 66-year-old was killed instantly by the explosion, which police now believe was an accident.

Offering chilling insight into the possible cause of the fire, Townsville-based yachtie Chris Hooper was anchorage neighbours with Mr Pagliarini in August.

Raffaele Pagliarini was killed by an explosion aboard his yacht moored in the Johnstone River on Saturday, November 4, 2023. The yachtsman is pictured here at Magnetic Island eating pizza cooked with a wood fired oven aboard the catamaran. Picture: Chris Hooper

He claims while visiting Mr Pagliarini’s boat, Yawo, at Horseshoe Bay, a wood fired pizza oven known to be installed on the boat caught fire.

“We saw Raf’s pizza fire get out of control on Magnetic Island, he burnt his hands putting it out,” he said.

“Friends have told me he now had a still for making alcohol, which is weird because Raf did not drink much.”

Police are looking for Raffaele Pagliarini in relation to the sinking of his yacht, Yawo, in the Johnstone River at Innisfail. Picture: Supplied

An Innisfail man first at the scene described wading through known croc habitat desperately calling out to anyone on board the stricken catamaran.

The keen boatie, who asked not to be named, made it to within metres of the sailing boat owned by Mr Pagliarini but it was fully engulfed from bow to stern and billowing smoke.

Raffaele Pagliarini had a love of sailing the Great Barrier Reef.

There was little he could do, he said.

“I was actually first on scene and first in the water up to my waist, deep 4m from the vessel, as it was burning, yelling out if anyone was on the vessel and passing on information to police. I kind of wish I did more now,” he said.

“He could’ve been in the mangroves next to me, or behind me somewhere.”

The witness said he had been told by police the Italian boat owner was in Ravenshoe, where he owns a house.

“But the fact that they can’t locate him, though is a very big concern, so the likelihood is that it will be Rafael that they found,” he said.

A good friend of the boat owner, Izzy Nazare, said another member of the cruising yacht community had driven to Mr Pagliarini’s house and it looked like no one had been there in months.

“Raf is not in Ravenshoe,” she said.

Travelling yachtie Izzy Nazare met Mr Pagliarini on North Keppel Island two years ago and since then the pair had developed a close bond and shared interest in off-grid and sustainable living.

Ravenshoe man, Raffaele Pagliarini, was last seen on his boat on the Johnstone River on Friday, November 3.

She described Mr Pagliarini as a man with great knowledge of tropical sailing, food gathering and was known for his innovative problem solving.

“He was full of knowledge,” she said.

“He was not lonely but didn’t like to be around people and was always separate from the group, he loved his solitude.”

Ms Nazare said Mr Pagliarini was “living the old way”.

“He was living that way, he told me because when he was young he was extremely poor and now that is what he was trying to look for, to get a sense of his lifestyle,” she said.

“He was also known for his temperament, he was passionate and he was an Italian and had that Italian blood.

“He was extremely innovative and his boat was something you have never seen before, it was completely unique.”

Ravenshoe man, Raffaele Pagliarini, was last seen on his boat on the Johnstone River on Friday, November 3.

The French traveller said she was holding out hope that the body found on Monday was not that of her friend.

“It’s just so sad, but I’m keeping hope,” she said.

Ms Nazare did not believe the homemade device wood fire pizza was the cause of the boat catching fire.

“I know that he has wood fired pizza oven fire on board and he knew exactly what he was doing, it was impossible and if there was a fire he would put it out for sure, he was extremely cautions, it’s just really strange,” she said.

“But it would not surprise me if he got into a fight.”

Police are continuing with the investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

Ms Nazare said she was in contact with the family of Mr Pagliarini, who were desperate for any information about their loved one.

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Originally published as Raffaele Pagliarini: Details before fatal boat fire on Johnstone River