Now three weeks and one day since Doug Hunt was last seen, and with no trace of the trawler found by search crews, his family is still in the dark about what's happened to their loved one.
Hunt's sister Delwyn Hunt told Daily Mail Australia her entire family was in pieces.
"We just feel broken, at a complete loss," she said.
She said it was "the unknown" which made the situation so unbearable.
While Doug lived with his family in Port Macquarie on New South Wales' north coast, Delwyn said she and most of Doug's family still lived in New Zealand, where they grew up. Delwyn said the distance made the situation even more difficult to comprehend.
"It's hard because we're over here, not over there," she said.
"We just feel broken and helpless, it's hard to know what to do."
Delwyn said Doug was a "family man" who very much loved his partner Tracey Lee and the children.
With six children in his care, three shared with Tracey and three step-children, Delwyn said her brother, originally from Tokoroa, worked hard to provide for the family.
She said it was this love for his family which ultimately lead him to go on the doomed fishing trip.
She said Doug wanted to make some extra money for the family ahead of Christmas.
"He hadn't been out fishing for years," she said.
"I fully believe he just went out to make some extra money for the family, just a one off trip.
Doug was one of a team of three men who went missing on the fishing trawler. Veteran professional fisherman, and fellow Kiwi, Grant Sainty, 60, and an unidentified 24-year-old man were on board with Hunt when the trawler vanished without a trace off the Fraser Coast.
Hervey Bay police launched the air and sea search on November 25, seven days after the men failed to arrive at the Sunshine Coast.
Doug Hunt was earning extra money for Christmas. Photo / Supplied
Police said the search was only undertaken a week later because their late arrival "was not deemed out of character by those known to the crew members".
Water Police searched the coastline from Bustard Head to Urangan Harbour - where the men departed from - but found no sign of the trawler or its men.
The search was scaled back on Monday November 28 after an extensive air, sea and land search failed to locate any sign of the vessel.
Helicopters, police and Volunteer Marine Rescue vessels all contributed to the search which spanned thousands of square nautical miles.
While the search had been scaled back, Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday that police were still conducting broadcasts over marine radio and there were ongoing patrols in coastal areas.
Daily Mail Australia was informed there were no longer "dedicated search aircrafts or vessels" sent out, but the search had not been abandoned.
Hunt's partner Tracey Lee also spoke out on Monday, claiming she was still 'praying' for good news.
"Doug is my soul mate and father of our three beautiful children as well as father to my additional three children who he adores," Tracey told the Chronical.
"We have family, friends and church groups now praying for their safe return."
Tracey said she remembered the last thing she said to Doug before he left for the job.
"I said 'I love you and we appreciate what you're doing for the family' and to be safe," she said.
Doug's family said it had banded together since the trawler's disappearance.
His sister Delwyn said her and her sister made plans to travel to Australia to be with Tracey and the family. 'We have a large family in Australia as well as New Zealand,' she said. 'We're all supporting each other.' Delwyn also said she had the families of the other two men in her thoughts and hoped to reach out to them when she landed. 'We just obviously send our love to the other families,' she said. 'We're all praying and holding onto a bit of hope.'
