Yachtsmen `died in freak accident`

Three West Australian men who mysteriously disappeared while sailing off the north Queensland coast were killed in a freak accident, the Queensland coroner has found.

After a week-long inquest in Townsville, coroner Michael Barnes found Derek "Des"
Batten, 56, and Peter Tunstead and Jim Tunstead, 69 and 63, most likely drowned
following an unfortunate series of events while sailing at George's Point, north of
Airlie Beach, on April 15 last year.
The men, all relatively inexperienced sailors, were on the first stage of a six to
eight week "trip of a lifetime" from Airlie Beach to Perth aboard Mr Batten's 10
metre catamaran the Kaz II when tragedy struck.
Mr Barnes concluded either Peter or Jim Tunstead had fallen into the water behind
the boat while trying to retrieve a lure which had become tangled around the boat's
rudder.
The other brother had subsequently fallen in while attempting a rescue.
Mr Barnes found the vessel's skipper Mr Batten was trying to adjust the sails so he
could turn around and go back for the two men, but a change in wind direction caused
the yacht's boom to swing and knock him overboard.
"Once the three men were in the water there was very little chance they could get
back on the boat as it was blown before a 15 knot wind and they struggled in lumpy
seas," Mr Barnes said.
"It would be beyond their reach in seconds.
"From that point, the end would have been swift.
"None of them was a good swimmer, the seas were choppy, the men would quickly have
become exhausted and sunk beneath the waves."
He labelled the sequence of events "a freak accident".
Outside court, Mr Batten's widow Jenny, flanked by Peter and Jim's partners Frances
and Marj, and a large contingent of family members paid tribute to Queensland
authorities involved in the search.
"Our special thanks go to the water police and the police for their effective
operation and their care and compassion towards our families during this very
difficult time, especially since we were so far away from where it happened," she
said in a prepared statement.
"The public support was amazing and very much appreciated."
The discovery of the Kaz II, drifting aimlessly and unoccupied about 88 nautical
miles off the coast of Townsville on April 18 last year, attracted international
media attention and drew comparisons to the famous "ghost ship" the Mary Celeste.
Numerous theories have surrounded the men's fate, including that they met with foul
play at the hands of pirates or drug smugglers.
However, Mr Barnes dismissed the theory, saying there was no evidence of any third
party being involved in their disappearance.
He also ruled out the prospect the men staged their disappearance, noting there had
been no "suspicious transactions" in their finances and that each of the men was
deeply dedicated to their respective families.
"I have not the slightest doubt that each of the men would contact their wives and
families were they alive," Mr Barnes said.
Mr Barnes said the men's deaths should serve as a warning to the general public of
the potential dangers of sailing.