The Northern Territory Police Cold Case Task Force (CCTF) continues to investigate the disappearance of Avis Daniel and Siegfried (Fred) Wolff, who are believed to have drowned during the sinking of the Mandorah Queen amid Cyclone Tracy in 1974.
Avis boarded the Mandorah Queen on 24 December 1974 with her boyfriend, boat skipper Fred Wolff, and deckhand Michael Grant, hoping the vessel would be the safest place to ride out the storm. Tragically, the Mandorah Queen capsized and sank that evening, and Avis, Fred, and Michael were never seen alive again.
Sadly, Michael Grant’s remains were discovered near Nightcliff in early 1975. The wreck of the Mandorah Queen was located in 1981, one kilometre from Mandorah Jetty.
To this day, investigations continue in an effort to locate the remains of Avis and Fred.
This month, the Search and Rescue Section (SRS) assisted the CCTF by conducting two dives to assess the likelihood of recovering human remains from the Mandorah Queen wreck. Due to 70 percent of the vessel being submerged almost 20 metres beneath the seabed level, it was deemed unsafe for divers to search inside the wreck.
Sergeant Zac Winkworth with the SRS said, “The structural integrity of the wreck is not strong enough for an extraction at this time.
“While their remains were not located on this occasion, our Search and Rescue Section have specialised resources that we are always ready to deploy in important cases such as this.”
Detective Sergeant Toby Wilson with the CCTF said, “Our goal is to one day bring the families some closure and we will continue to work toward this resolution.
“A long-term missing persons case is never closed until the individual is found. Until then, we will continue investigating this case and others like it.”
“Police continue to urge any Darwin residents from that time who have information about Avis or Fred, particularly on the day or days leading up to their boarding the vessel, to contact 131 444.”
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