The family of a beloved Australian shipworker who vanished at sea more than three years ago have revealed when they will finally hold his funeral — but say the formal service won’t end their bid to uncover why their brother and dozens of crew were sailed directly into a huge storm . NSW man William Mainprize was working as a stockman aboard the Gulf Livestock 1 — a livestock carrier transporting 5,900 cattle from Napier, New Zealand to the Port of Jingtang in China — when it was overturned by waves driven by Typhoon Maysak. Only two of the 43 crew survived, and Mainprize’s body has never been recovered.
Queensland father and vet Lukas Orda also died in the tragedy. An inquest at the end of 2023 concluded Mainprize, 27, died on or about September 2, 2020 about 185km west of Anami Oshima, Japan. “The manner of his death was misadventure, and the cause of his death will remain unascertained,” Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund said.
Mainprize’s siblings, who until recently had “never felt right” about holding a funeral, said they plan to hold a service and small music festival to “truly celebrate his incredible life” in May 2025. In another cruel twist, they have pushed it back a year because their father is currently battling cancer and would not be well enough to attend if it was held now. “We’ve been in a position to reflect on what has happened without being in the thick of the intense grief, which was made even more complex due to the lack of .