Kim Lambert

Kimberley James Lambert was the skipper of the Julie-Anne Margaret, an 11 metre [36.1 ft] crayboat. His parents were Doreen Yvonne Mann and Max Whisson Lambert. Kim was born in Subiaco on 04 October 1951. He was 38 years old. He had a son with his de facto partner and lived at Northampton.

Kim worked the whites dropping his pots out of Knobby Head between Leeman and Dongara. On 9 January 1990 Kim pulled his pots and then headed towards Geraldton where he planned to carry out some routine repairs.

There was a woman on board that day. She was unnamed in the newspapers. Sergeant Rhatigan reported he did not know what position the woman had on board the boat. The newspaper stated police refused to release Kim’s name because he had a partner and child.

Apparently, Kim drove the boat to Geraldton and enjoyed a few beers on the way.

It is possible Kim’s disappearance occurred when he went to the stern to urinate and somehow fell or was washed off the boat. The woman was in the wheelhouse, and stated she did not see or hear anything. She had been sleeping.

At the time Kim went missing the Julie-Anne Margaret had steamed to two nautical miles southwest of the Point Moore lighthouse, along the 12-fathom line. The woman on board did not know how to navigate through the reef.

A Marine & Harbours vessel Geraldton Genson immediately joined nine local fishing boats in their search which were at the area where Kim went missing within minutes. A light aircraft and police helicopter searched the area via the air, sweeping beaches for any sign of Kim. He was a good swimmer, and it was hoped he would make the shore or a reef.

Searchers conducted a grid search of the area but failed to find any trace of Kim. The sea was rough though, reducing his chances of survival.

The next morning police resumed a full-scale search using air, land and sea searchers. At one point there was a report of a sighting on Sunset Beach, and the search was focussed there. Kim had been missing for 20 hours without a trace. At 11am police scaled down their search.

On 11 January Kim had been missing for a day and a half, and police presumed he was dead. The State Emergency Services searched the beaches between Drummonds Cove to the Greenough River mouth. Police sent up their airwing. They were baffled by the disappearance.

With no trace of Kim, the sea search operations came under scrutiny by the Marine Emergency Management Committee. Captain John Brooker of the Marine & Harbours Department in Fremantle stated he would liaise with Geraldton department officers to obtain relevant information about the search procedures. A coronial inquiry was scheduled.

Nothing was ever found of Kim. He had disappeared without a trace. Of course, the local rumour mill was busy. Kim may have had money issues. He may have faked his own death. He was not dead, but in hiding somewhere. His friends and fishing mates found it hard to believe his disappearance. They looked for some kind of explanation.

No explanation has ever been discovered. Kim disappeared on 9 January 1990, leaving behind his partner and his son.