Honeydew II search dives resume today

DIVE crews were due to enter the wreck of the Honeydew II again this morning to search parts of the galley and hold for signs of the its two missing crew members.

The coastguard yesterday reviewed video footage taken of the vessel by garda divers and, according to Declan Geoghan of the coastguard, the video showed some areas where the search may have been obscured by material, such as tables and chairs.

There were no dives on the boat yesterday but a shoreline search from Ardmore to Carnsore Point was carried out by 12 ribs, a helicopter and coastguard crews. However, they found no sign of Honeydew II skipper, Ger Bohan, or Polish crew member Tomasz Jagla.

Mr Geoghan said dives would continue until they were satisfied there was “no stone unturned” either on the vessel or in the immediate area around it.

The Honeydew II sank after being hit by what its two surviving Lithuanian crew members described as a 45 foot wave which smashed a hole in the side of the vessel. It now lies 3.6 miles south-east of Ram’s Head between Ardmore and Dungarvan.

In the search for the crew of the other stricken vessel, the Pere Charles, which also sank 19 days ago, naval dives ceased on Saturday and there is not expected to be any more searches of the boat for the five missing men.

Coastguard officials met with relatives of Pat Hennessy, his nephew Tom Hennessy, Billy O’Connor, Pat Coady, and Andriy Dyrin on Saturday evening after another unsuccessful day for naval divers searching the vessel which is lying 35 metres below the surface and two-and-a-half miles from Dunmore East.

The search was hampered initially by poor weather but condition in the days running up to the weekend were conducive for diving and the naval services were able to carry out a thorough search of the boat.

They also searched the sea floor around the sunken vessel but the efforts proved ultimately unsuccessful.

Shore searches for the missing men were carried out yesterday and will continue throughout this week.

Yesterday, family members of the five men were brought out to the spot where the vessel sank.

They laid wreaths and said prayers for their missing loved ones.