- Dead man found on boat near brothel identified
- Police are investigating how the couple died without injuries
- Want to know more? Email candace.sutton@mailonline.com
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A man found dead on a boat alongside the body of a brothel owner has been identified as a Sydney dealer.
The bodies of Peter Ray, 56, and his on-off lover Lixin Wang, in her 60s, were found in the cabin of their boat docked at Cammeray on Sydney’s north shore at about 9pm on Wednesday.
Mr Ray was a registered plumber, while Ms Wang is listed as a masseuse in Hunters Hill but also as the registered owner of a brothel in the eastern suburbs.
A friend of Mr Ray alerted police after they had not been heard from since Monday and found the boat shrouded in darkness.
Firefighters initially entered the 56-foot yacht, named Taloha, wearing breathing apparatus for fear there were noxious gases on board the vessel.
Shortly afterwards, police boarded the boat and found several items of interest, including illegal drugs, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The couple are not known to have suffered any physical injuries, but the gas leak is one of the lines of investigation that the police will look into.
Sydney plumber Peter Ray (pictured) has been identified as the man found dead alongside a brothel madam on his luxury yacht docked in Cammeray on Wednesday.
Mr Ray was preparing to enter Taloha in the Airlie Beach Race Week, which starts next Thursday, and had spent the past 18 months refurbishing the boat as a “project of love”.
He had purchased the boat in 2022 for $250,000.
His ex-wife, Andrea, remembered Mr. Ray as a devoted father to three children, ages 29, 27 and 19.
She revealed she was planning to move to Queensland next Wednesday to “start fresh” and had packed the boat for the trip.
Detective Inspector Siobhan Munro said police were still investigating whether “foul play” was involved in the investigation, which had already been going on for hours.
“Nothing has been ruled out at this point,” he said.
“We don’t know what happened. We are still investigating.”
A friend of Mr Ray and his on-off lover, Lixin Wang, were found on their boat, Taloha (pictured), after the pair had not been heard from since Monday.
The couple are believed to have suffered no physical injuries, but a gas leak is one of the lines of inquiry that police will be looking into (pictured: police at the scene).
According to a boating expert with personal knowledge of Taloha, the concern about fumes suggests a gas leak from the galley’s cooking equipment or carbon monoxide from the engine or a heater.
“Each vessel requires a gas certificate that must be renewed every 10 years,” he explained.
“(A gas leak) is not unheard of. It has happened before, and (especially) if the ship was completely closed because it was cold. What a terrible tragedy!”
Police took several identified items from the boat for forensic examination as two bodies were seen being carried off the boat on stretchers.
An autopsy will be carried out in the coming days to confirm the identity of the man and woman and determine the cause of death.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
