A routine fishing trip ended in the deaths of two brothers after the wooden boat they spent years rebuilding crashed into reefs near St David's.Mustafa (Kiki) Abdul-Hadee (born Ernest Clifton Williams), 59, and Mikel (Michael) Edgar Williams, 58, were found floating in the waters to the east of St David's Battery at about 1am yesterday by the crew of the pilot boat St David.The grim discovery left the pilot boat's crew in shock and the brothers' families in mourning.At around midnight yesterday the brothers contacted the Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre saying they had struck a reef off St David's Head and were taking on water.It is believed they were attempting to pass through a narrow break in the reefs but missed the shortcut in the darkness and their boat, the 27ft long Tern, struck the breakers.Their sister LaVerne Williams, who flew home from the United States last night, told The Royal Gazette: “We are all just shocked. They were brothers who did everything together.I used to look after them and they looked after me.”A statement from the maritime centre said: “Bermuda Radio instructed the crew to put on life jackets while tasking the pilot boat St David and Marine Police boat Heron II to assist.“Bermuda Radio commenced Mayday Relay broadcasts to vessels in the area with local fishing vessel 34 Fathoms and a local skiff from Smith's Island responding to the call for assistance.”Jacal Minors, a member of the St David's crew, said they were called to assist sometime between 12.15am and 12.30am, and left the pilot dock on Ballast Point Road sometime around 12.45am.“We were looking for the boat when we found the wreckage. At that point we didn't know that the boat had sunk. We thought it was a tow job,” Mr Minors said. “That's when we found the first body floating face down.”He said the crew attempted to pull the lifeless body on board, but were unable to because of the height of the ship.Instead, the boat returned to a public dock near Black Horse Tavern at around 1.15am, where a police diver and another officer were picked up to join the rescue effort.They returned to the scene of the wreck and while the police diver was recovering the first body, the second body was found floating near a cooler containing caught fish.With the assistance of other boats that had responded to the call for assistance, both bodies were returned to shore at around 1.45am, and were taken from the area by ambulance.Flotation devices were also seen in the wreckage but neither man was wearing a life jacket when their bodies were recovered.“I don't know if they intended to try to stick by the boat or swim to land, but they were only about 250m from land when we found them,” Mr Minors said.He said he knew both men, particularly Mr Williams, who lived on his wooden boat in the same bay that the pilot dock is located.“I spent a few nights talking with him down at the cricket club,” Mr Minors said. “He spent three or four years fixing up that boat. Launched it last year from right down the road at Pitcher's slip.“I live just up the road. We're all from the same bay so we have got to keep an eye out for each other.”While Mr Minors said he has been involved with the pilot service for several years, this was the first time he has been tasked with recovering a body.“For it to be someone I know, that just makes it even worse,” he said. “We are first responders, but it's something I hope I never have to deal with again.”Mr Abdul-Hadee lived at Hermitage Road, Smith's, and leaves behind wife of 20 years Ameenah and children Melvin Simmons and Mukhtar Abdul-Jabbar.Mrs Abdul-Hadee said last night: “It just seems like a bad dream. My husband was a very strong man and very talented. He was a visionary, a man who always looked to the future.”Minister Kimmie Mello, cousin to the Williams brothers, said: “If they had made that shortcut once, they had made it a thousand times. They grew up rowing and fishing all around here.“They have come back a thousand times, but something went wrong.”While the weather at the time of the incident was calm, with waves of only one or two feet outside the reefs, tides were said to be very low at the time of the accident, and the boat, originally built in St David's more than 40 years ago, reportedly sat low in the water.Mr Mello said that the family was yesterday in the process of spreading the word to more distant relatives, but news had already spread shock and sadness throughout the St David's community.“St David's is a tight knit community. We look out for each other. If it had been any other fishermen, we would be just as hurt, just as shocked,” he said.“It hurts me deeply. It was just a matter of weeks ago when Michael, the older brother, brought fish to my mother.“We are really upset. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered.”While he said the investigation into what happened has only just begun, he theorised that his cousins may have tried to use the ship's flotation devices in an unsuccessful attempt to save the ship from sinking.“I don't want to say anything negative about my cousins, but if they were wearing life jackets, they would likely still be alive now,” Mr Mello said.Marine police yesterday raised the sunken vessel using a crane, revealing a massive hole in the ship's starboard side.Last night, National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief expressed his condolences to relatives, saying: “At this time our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these two men.“Such a sudden loss of life is always tragic but we hope they will be comforted by the strength and support of friends and family.”