Divers prepare to enter sunken trawler amid calm conditions

ANOTHER attempt to recover the bodies of five fishermen missing off the Co Waterford coast is likely to be made today, as weather conditions grow calmer.

Naval Service divers headed out to sea yesterday morning in preparation for a dive and recovery operation at the location of the sunken trawler, the Pere Charles, but a strong current on the seabed off Hook Head thwarted members of the 14-man team from gaining access to the vessel.

Some exploratory work was carried out by the divers in a bid to gain more knowledge of the vessel’s position, but the dive attempt had to be called off at about 5pm.

It was hoped that the divers would be able to use the bright conditions to carry out a new assessment of the condition and position of the wreck, but the four-knot sea current prevented substantial work from taking place off the Irish Lights vessel, the Granuaile, which is being used as a platform.

Irish Coast Guard co-ordinator Dave McMyler said yesterday evening that the divers would be in position today “from the early am”, working to a dive plan.

Family members of the five men who were lost with the Pere Charles when it sank on Wednesday, January 10, remained on standby throughout the day, waiting for news of progress in the recovery operation.

They continue to hope that the bodies of their loved ones — Billy O’Connor, Pat Coady, Pat Hennessy, Andriy Dyrin, and skipper Tom Hennessy — are still in the fishing vessel.

It’s understood that the first job to be undertaken by the divers is to clear fishing nets that have gathered around the Pere Charles, which is lying on its starboard side.

Divers will also be taking off a small marker line, used to help diving access to the vessel, and replacing it with a larger line.

They will then use bolt-guns to break five portholes on the port side of the vessel, venting the ship and allowing any gases that have built up as a result of the decomposition of the herring catch to escape.

Given enough time, the naval team will first examine the bridge area of the Pere Charles to look for anything left there, before moving to the galley area.

Cameras will be used to assist in the search, monitored by the rest of the team on board on the Granuaile, before the divers go inside the vessel.

Video footage taken during last week’s dive has confirmed the presence of much debris in the interior of the Pere Charles, while its position on the seabed — at an angle of 110 degrees — is also causing problems for the navy teams.

Yesterday was the first time last Tuesday that the weather allowed the navy team to go out to the location of the wrecked herring-boat.

The divers remained at the scene, aboard the Granuaile, until daylight faded yesterday evening.