air and sea search is underway for a man in his 60s who is missing after a tugboat that was towing a barge capsized in Gladstone Harbour.

<p><br />Three other crewmen have been rescued, emergency services say.<br /><br />Police were alerted that a boat had turned over in the Gladstone Harbour near to the mouth of the Calliope river around 1pm (AEST).<br /><br />There were four men on board the stricken vessel and three were rescued - however the skipper of the boat is still missing.<br /><br />Police, volunteer marine rescuers, coastguard and the CQ rescue helicopter are scouring the area for the missing man.<br /><br />Maritime Safety Queensland general manager Patrick Quirk says a search for the missing man is under way.<br /><br />He said the tug was towing a barge in Gladstone Harbour on Saturday afternoon when it sank near a coal terminal.<br /><br />The barge did not sink.<br /><br /><br /><br /> <br />Mr Quirk said it was not known what caused the tugboat to sink and a full investigation would be launched but for now the focus is the search for the missing crewman.<br /><br />All four were onboard the 23-metre tugboat when it capsized about 1pm.<br /><br />Gladstone water police rescued three of the men and continue to search for the fourth.<br /><br />A rescue helicopter has also joined the search and a 100m exclusion zone has been set up around the sunken vessel.</p>

air and sea search is underway for a man in his 60s who is missing after a tugboat that was towing a barge capsized in Gladstone Harbour.

Three other crewmen have been rescued, emergency services say. Police were alerted that a boat had turned over in the Gladstone Harbour near...

Read more »