Friends of an experienced fisherman have recovered his body from waters in southern Tasmania after a freak wave upturned his boat.
Despite the desperate efforts of a colleague who spent almost an hour trying to keep him above water, professional deckhand Allan Geoffrey Russell, 73, disappeared at Red Cape on Tuesday.
Crew aboard a search and rescue helicopter spotted his body floating about a kilometre south of where he was lost the following morning.
Friends of Mr Russell who were helping the effort in their own boats, retrieved their mates' body.
Mr Russell had been controlling an oxygen compressor for a workmate diving for abalone when the dinghy capsized, Inspector Lee Renshaw told reporters.
Noticing his air supply was lost, the diver surfaced to find Mr Russell clinging to the upturned boat.
"He apparently held on to him for up to 50 minutes and sadly could hang on to him no longer because the deckhand had no strength left and he fell away," Insp Renshaw said.
Mr Russell was not wearing a life jacket.
The diver swam to shore, alerted authorities and was winched to safety.
Weather conditions were not rough at the time of the capsize but Insp Renshaw said the diver felt an unfamiliar surge before his oxygen supply was cut.
"I guess there must have been a set of waves come in that the deckhand was caught unaware of and it's upturned the vessel," he added.
By the time the diver reached Mr Russell he was already in trouble.
"He was struggling, he was vomiting water," Insp Renshaw said.
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
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