A man has died after a boating accident in waters off Brisbane.
Richard Clayton, his 16-year-old daughter Karla Clayton and his best friend TJ took off early on Wednesday.
The trio were 200 metres offshore when the tinny capsized shortly after 9am.
The father and daughter swam to shore but TJ never made it home.
“It was a little swell, picking up our second last crab pot, boat starts taking on water,” Richard told 9News from his hospital bed.
“Next minute we know we’re under the water.”
They were forced to cling to an esky as they drifted about five kilometres in the water.
The father and daughter made the decision to swim in and raise the alarm, with TJ too tired to make the journey.
The pair swam to shore with Karla making it to dry land first.
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“I was just thinking what’s going to happen to me,” Karla told 9News.
“I didn’t even think I was going to make it back to shore.”
As Karla was helped by a member of the public, she thought for a moment she had lost her dad before Richard appeared.
“I thought I was actually going to go,” Richard said.
“I just kept thinking ‘where is she? where is she?'”
TJ’s body was later found by water police.
Richard said while he doesn’t have a photo of TJ, he has plenty of memories and described his late friend as loyal and “a true gentleman”.
Dive crews are still searching for the tinny. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
