Former Tasmanian cricketer and politician Tony Benneworth is one of two men killed in a boating accident.
Mr Benneworth, 67, and his friend Anthony Long, 73, died in the incident at Ansons Bay in Tasmania's northeast on Saturday afternoon.
The pair were fishing with another man in the area on a five-metre boat when it started taking on water.
The third man swam about 500m to shore to raise the alarm, but it was too late to save his two fishing companions.
Tasmania Police say investigations indicate one of the men who died had struggled to inflate his jacket and the other was not wearing a lifejacket when he entered the water.
The boat has been secured by police for investigations as part of a report for the coroner.
Mr Benneworth was a Liberal MP in the Tasmanian parliament from 1992 to 1998 and unsuccessfully ran in the federal election in 2001.
"As a member of the Tasmanian parliament from 1992 to 1998 and part of both the Groom and Rundle governments, Tony was a great advocate for northern Tasmania and particularly the electorate of Bass," Tasmanian Liberals president Geoff Page said in a statement.
"Tony will be greatly missed."
Mr Benneworth was a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium-pace bowler for Riverside Cricket Club in Launceston and played for Tasmania from 1971-1981, making his debut against the World XI.
He played in Tasmania's inaugural Sheffield Shield win in 1977-78.
"Tony was a key part of Tasmanian cricket's early first class history and a passionate supporter of cricket in northern Tasmania," Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin said in a statement.
"His influence as a player and later on as a Cricket Tasmania Board director was considerable and he will be sorely missed."
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