Gardaí to examine gear of diver in fatal rescue mission

GARDAÍ in Kilmore Quay in Wexford have taken possession of the diving gear which Billy O’Connor used when he embarked on a fatal search for the remains of missing skipper, Pat Colfer, 10 days ago.

The diving gear will be examined by an expert over the coming days, as would be normal practice in such a circumstance, a colleague on the Irish Underwater Council said yesterday.

Post mortem results have not yet been released and relatives and friends who gathered to pay a final tribute to Billy O’Connor at his removal last night still do not know what happened to cause the experienced diver to drown.

The remains of the 49-year-old were recovered from close to the site of the sunken Rising Sun on Saturday afternoon. Mr O’Connor will be buried today after noon Mass in his parish Church of St Michael’s and Mary’s in New Ross.

Diving colleagues are expected to form a guard of honour.

The search continued for the 13th day yesterday for the remains of 37-year-old skipper, Pat Colfer. Billy O’Connor died while diving in the recovery operation for the father-of-two from Slade in Co Wexford. Mr Colfer has been missing since The Rising Sun capsized on 29 November.

Crew member Jimmy Meyler, 47, from Ballyhack in Co Wexford, was picked up from the water but was later pronounced dead. The other crew-member who survived is Ian Tierney.