Whitsundays Storm

A huge storm hit the Whitsundays at around 4pm this evening, leaving one person missing in its wake.

 Police & Rescue services are currently searching for a missing 31 year old female around Turtle Bay, Whitsunday Island, which faces the major accommodation area of Hamilton Island. Initial information indicates that the 10 meter vessel overturned just after 5.00 tonight - we have been asked to not name the boat at this stage.

View Whitsundays Events and Incidents Map in a larger map

11 of the12 occupants have been accounted for, but the 20 year old female, at this point in time, remains missing. Witnesses on Hamilton Island can see the Search operation in progress from their accommodation.

Conditions have eased and Police & Rescue services continue to search of the area, however weather conditions earlier caused the CQ Rescue helicopter to return to Mackay.

At 11pm, a witness reported that the search had progressed to Fitzalan Island (see map). We are currently being kept up to date by the local authorities and we will issue any new news via Twitter, or the 'widget' in our right margin.
According to witness reports from Hamilton Island, the search seemed to either 'move on' or has concluded at around 11.45pm. As at this time, we have received no further 'official' information.

The Storm
At around 5pm, a storm hit the Metropolitan Whitsundays (Airlie Beach, Cannonvale) from the South West. Normally this would have surprised most of the residents as the massive Conway Range borders the South & South Western edge of Airlie Beach, Cannonvale & Cannon Valley,

however, we were able to get enough tweets & posts out to enough people, so 'the word was passed around' via SocialMedia and almost everyone was prepared. The Whitsunday Times (supposedly the local paper but printed in Rockhampton) failed to report any warnings.

Whitsunday Times Twitter - 8 hours after the storm

It should be noted that no local news service except ourselves advised the good folks of the Whitsundays of the impending ferocity of the storm.

In the one hour, Proserpine Airport received 39mm of rain, and Hamilton Island received a huge 69mm. A wind gust was recorded at Hamilton Island Airport at 115km/h.