The parents of missing Mount Isa man Lukas Orda have made an emotional appeal for Japanese authorities to resume the search for their son and others missing since the Gulf Livestock 1 went missing in a typhoon nine days ago.
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Sabine and Ulrich Orda fronted a media conference in Townsville this morning to say they were devastated to hear the search for 40 people still missing from the ship was called off on Wednesday.
"We understand that politicians and the office of Foreign Affairs and Trade are working on potential solutions to resume the search," Ulrich Orda said.
"Regardless we cannot comprehend how the decision was made to stop the search."
Mr Orda said said they were advised on September 7 (Monday) about information known to one of the survivors.
"Before the accident happened everyone was wearing life jackets and the captain called everyone to go to the bridge to enter the lifeboats," he said.
"Three crew did not reach the bridge and were washed overboard. When a big wave hit the ship, it was pushed onto its side and a second survivor was washed off and the lifeboats went off."
Mr Orda said given this information the search should not have been called off and crew members were still potential alive out at sea,
"With a second typhoon having passed, finding survivors remains a top priority," he said.
Struggling to overcome his emotion, he said Lukas was married and the parent of a six-month-old son.
"We beg you not to stop looking for Lukas and the other people missing at sea," he said.
Mr Orda's relatives have launched a petition to convince authorities to resume the search.
Traeger MP Robbie Katter said the evidence suggested there was very good reason to continue the search and he has appealed directly to the prime minister for assistance.
"Four lifeboats are unaccounted for and people can live for up to 30 days and we just had people who survived for seven days out at sea in South Australia," he said.
"We had international collaboration with missing Malaysian Airline MH370 for almost two years, after just seven days we owe it to those people to keep searching."
Of original manifest of 43 crew, just two survivors have so far been found alive. A third man was rescued but died later. There were 6000 cattle aboard.
The total crew included 39 from the Philippines, two from New Zealand and two from Australia, 25-year-old Lukas Orda from Mount Isa and William Mainprize from New South Wales.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
