‘Unthinkable’: Trio of missing fishermen found dead after major search off South Australian coast named

A trio of fishermen found dead after a search off South Australia’s Limestone Coast ended in tragedy have been identified. The trio of good friends were expected to be back at Beachport about 2.30pm on Sunday despite the warning from a local resident not to brave the dangerous weather conditions brewing. The alarm raised when the same resident who warned them noticed the men had failed to return, sparking a major search effort involving police, water operations, PolAir, SES, and aerial assets such as drones with local’s assisting in the search operations with their own boats. SA Police confirmed on Monday morning that the bodies of the three NSW fishermen - now identified by The Advertiser and Chanel Seven as Les DeMamiel, 74, Russell Fisher, 67, and John McKenzie, 65- have been recovered. Another member of the public also assisted police in the search with a light plane, discovering the boat and the body of one of the men that had washed up on shore, Superintendent Cox confirmed. The bodies of the other two men were spotted overhead by a police helicopter several hours later. Beachport is a popular fishing destination known for its isolated, 772m-long jetty. About the time the men were due back at Beachport, strong winds were reported with gusts peaking at 32km/hr about 20 minutes later. Local residents told The Advertiser that swells reach “up to 3m” on Sunday and were conditions “nobody should have been fishing in”. None of the men were reportedly wearing life jackets when their bodies were recovered, and ignored dangerous weather conditions and local warnings, Superintendent Trent Cox said. “It’s a tragic end to what should have been a pretty standard trip for these gentlemen. Our early investigations indicate that while they did have life jackets on board, they weren’t wearing them,” he said. The boat the fishermen used that day belonged to the son of one of the men, but investigations are still underway on what caused the boat to overturn, Superintendent Cox said. The emergency services and local community members who helped in the large search were thanked by the Superintendent. “Three deaths is just unthinkable and unimaginable. The other side of this is the impact it has on members of the public ... and emergency responders,” he said. Police have asked members of the public not to collect debris from the boat on Beachport’s shores but leave it for officers to collect as the investigation continues.