WITH nothing but a small, blinking light to illuminate the inside of his capsized boat, fisherman David Burger says a photo of his wife prompted him to fight for his life.
Mr Burger was the skipper of the 15-metre prawn trawler which capsized and sank in seas off the Gold Coast early on Friday morning, leaving friend and deckhand Gavin Kelly missing.
Authorities called off the search for Mr Kelly on Monday after finding no trace of the 39-year-old, and police are preparing a report for the coroner.
It's the second major tragedy to hit the Kelly family in recent times, after Gavin's twin brother Stephen died in a pearl-diving accident in 2009.
The tragedy has left Mr Kelly's mother distraught, according to Mr Burger.
The experienced skipper, who rejected claims the boat capsized after hitting a snag, described a "loud bang" as the only warning something was amiss before it listed.
Trapped in an air pocket, Mr Burger was fearing he was about to drown in a "steel coffin" when he chanced upon his wallet in the floating debris.
Inside the wallet was a picture of his wife Janine and he says it was her image which prompted him to take decisive action.
"I thought, 'I'm getting out of here, I'm going home,'" Mr Burger told reporters on Monday.
"I've got four kids. I'm not going to the bottom of the ocean. You can't get me that easy."
After freeing himself and clambering onto the boat's upturned hull, Mr Burger faced another ordeal when he realised the stricken vessel was sinking.
Fortunately, as it sank, a life raft floated to the surface complete with the emergency beacon he used to alert authorities.
After two more hours, an emergency helicopter crew located the 54-year-old and winched him to safety.
Mr Burger said his only concerns now were for Mr Kelly's wife and his three children.
"I just feel for his family, they've had so much tragedy," he said.
"Losing the boat, that's just possessions. But losing a good bloke like that, it's just a shame."
The incident won't keep Mr Burger, a third generation fisherman, from taking to the sea again but he hopes others will hear his story and be more careful.
"Our boats are pretty safe. We have all our safety gear," he said, still at a loss as to what happened on that night.
"Normally they don't roll over so quick ... this was just a freak of nature and I just pray to God it never happens to anyone ever again."
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