Poised to plumb the depths for crew

THE search for the five fishermen who were on board the Pere Charles is now concentrated on an area of sea about two miles off Hook Head.

The operation has three distinct elements: an air search is being carried out by Sikorsky helicopters from the Dublin and Waterford coastguard, with a crew of four on each. Lifeboats and volunteers from Dunmore East and Rosslare are also involved, along with a number of fishing vessels whose owners and crew have volunteered their time, while a shoreline search has been mounted by teams from the coastguard units of Ardmore, Helvick, Bonmahon, Tramore, Dunmore East, Fethard-on-Sea, Kilmore Quay, and Carnsore.

This shoreline search stretches from Carnsore Point in Co Wexford right across the south-east coast to Ardmore, west of Dungarvan, and involves the coastguard co-ordinator assigning teams to look on the cliffs, beaches and rocks for anything which may wash up from the tragic trawler.