Hopes of finding two fishermen missing for more than two days in rough seas off the coast of Fraser Island have all but faded.
A lone private charter plane is all that remains of the search mission for experienced trawlers Matt Roberts, 60, and David Chivers, 31.
The Bundaberg pair were trawling for prawns when their boat capsized in the early hours of Monday morning.
They were last seen at 3am that day and their upturned trawler was discovered four hours later about 10km off Fraser Island's east coast.
It is now at the bottom of the ocean.
Rough seas have made it impossible for search crews to pinpoint the location of the sunken vessel, but it appears increasingly likely the two men were trapped inside when it overturned.
"Their lines may have become hooked on a reef and then tangled around the boat," Markwell Fisheries general manager Richard Brown told AAP.
"Unfortunately we've had instances of this before.
"They were both experienced fishermen and were very calm gentlemen ... we know they would have done everything in their power to get off the boat."
Ten trawlers and several aircraft initiated the search on Monday morning but it was hampered the following day, with swells of up to three metres forcing boats to stay moored.
An official aerial search didn't resume on Wednesday morning but one fixed-wing plane, chartered by trawler owners Markwell Fisheries, continued to survey the ocean.
The boat's two emergency radio beacons were not activated, while lifeboats haven't been sighted.
Debris from the trawler has washed up on the east coast of Fraser Island.
Water police will continue to patrol the beach in the hope of finding some trace of the men.
Mr Chivers' wife Lyn, a mother of three, has posted photos of the couple's wedding day on Facebook with friends and family posting messages of support.
"Thinking of you lyn, and praying for david you and your family," Jessica Rashleigh wrote.
