THE BEAT: Lake Burbury search finds boat belonging to deceased fisherman

A missing fisherman has been found dead on Tasmania’s West Coast after what police describe as a fatal boating accident – but the boat has not been found. LATEST HERE >>

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Lake Burbury search finds boat belonging to deceased fisherman

Monday, February 13

The boat of a fisherman who died at Lake Burbury has been found in a search.

The 47-year-old disappeared from a nearby campsite some time on or before Sunday morning. He was later found dead.

Tasmania Police believed a boating accident caused his death.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter found the fishing boat about 2.5km from where the man had been found.

Police will hold the vessel for forensic examination.

Missing fisherman found dead

Monday, February 13

A missing fisherman has been found dead on Tasmania’s West Coast after what police describe as a fatal boating accident – but the boat has not been found.

Police were alerted to the 47-year-old’s disappearance from the Lake Burbury Campsite on Sunday morning.

According to police, the man was last seen by his friends at approximately 5pm Saturday when he went out on his white Quintrex fishing boat.

Police conducted search and rescue operations on Sunday afternoon before the man was tragically found dead in water on the eastern side of Lake Burbury.

Police including search and rescue personnel and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter are searching the lake for a white Quintrex fishing boat.

Late night explosion in Glenorchy

Sunday, February 13

LATEST, 5pm:

A tradie’s welding equipment appears to have caused the explosion which injured one man, shattered several windows, and woke the Glenorchy neighbourhood on Saturday night.

The resident of the Nagle Place unit was rushed to Royal Hobart Hospital with injuries to his face and upper body, however the injuries were not life threatening.

The force of the blast shattered the windows of the nearby units and damaged two vehicles, including one taxi that was parked nearby.

The man’s light truck was carrying welding equipment at the time of the blast, including several gas cylinders in the tray that he used for his work.

His next-door neighbour said was quite rattled by what had happened.

“It was at about 11 o’clock last night,” she said.

A man has been injured in an explosion in Hobart's North. Picture: Kenji Sato

“I’d just got into bed. It was a bit frightening.”

Another resident who lives just down the road was startled out of bed by the sound of the explosion on Saturday.

“It woke me up at 11 o’clock. I couldn’t even see where it was until this morning,” he said.

“It was on the other side of the road.”

A man has been injured in an explosion in Hobart's North. Picture: Kenji Sato

Tasmanian Police inspector George Cretu said investigations were ongoing, but that the explosion was not being treated as suspicious.

“We have forensic and other crime scene examiners out there as well as fire service, and we’re using all the skill sets that we have because it’s quite an extensive scene,” he said.

“The man’s injuries, we believe, are not life threatening but he could be in hospital a little while.”

Fire guts home in Burnie

Sunday, February 13

A home in Burnie’s southwest has been “pretty well destroyed” by fire overnight, with Tasmania Fire Service crews battling the blaze until about 2am Sunday morning.

A TFS spokesman said the Wattle Pl, Emu Heights fire, which was reported to triple-0 at about 8.35pm on Saturday night, was “well-involved” when crews from Burnie, Devonport and Somerset arrived.

It is not known whether anyone was home at the time of the fire’s outbreak.

The fire was under control by 2am, the TFS spokesman said.

Investigators are on-site assessing the damage to the property, which has been “pretty well destroyed”, and attempting to determine what caused the blaze, the TFS spokesman said.

In addition to gutting the residence, the fire also caused damage to nearby powerlines – understood to be house supply lines – which were reported as “flickering” due to the heat.

TasNetworks was contacted about the issue, the TFS spokesman said.

Shark sighting on the Tasman Peninsula

Sunday, February 13

Tasmania Police has received reports of a shark sighting in the area of Apex Point, White Beach this morning.

The shark sighting was reported to police about 9.30am.

The witness described the shark as large, but no further description of the shark or its location was provided.