Sunken trawlers to be raised after family pressure

TWO trawlers in which seven men died are to be raised from the seabed, following intensive lobbying by the families affected.

The Department of Transport said it will seek tenders on the raising of the Pere Charles and Maggie B.

Glen Cott, 30, from Ballycotton and Jan Sankowski, 45, from Poland lost their lives when the Maggie B sank around 8km south of Hook Head at the end of March.

The Pere Charles was carrying five men when it went down on January 10.

The vessel remains some 30 metres under water on the seabed 4km from Dunmore East.

Despite diving teams investigating the wreck, the remains of Tom and Pat Hennessy, Billy O’Connor, Pat Coady and Andriy Dyrin have never been recovered.

The families of the dead have lobbied local politicians to support their calls to have the boats lifted.

They want to find out why the boats sank and if any bodies remain on board.

The Honeydew II vanished just hours after the Pere Charles, with skipper Ger Bohan and Polish crewman Tomasz Jagla on board. That wreckage was located approximately 5km southeast of Ram Head in west Waterford.

The Government said the tender will be published at EU level shortly and tenderers will be asked to assess the costs and risks involved.

Naval divers will inspect the vessels again to establish their present condition and to provide data that will assist in the tender process

Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, and the Minister of State for Transport, Pat the Cope Gallagher, said they recognised that, following incidents there is a level of concern, particularly among the families directly involved, that the absence of a boat makes it impossible to adequately investigate the cause of accidents or to ensure that reasonable steps have been taken to recover bodies.

“The ministers indicated that public confidence in the system is important,” a spokeswoman said.

“They are also acutely aware of the trauma suffered by families and that they need to be assured that the steps taken in the aftermath of a tragedy are appropriate.

“It is essential that the necessary evidence is gathered.

“It is not normal international practice to raise boats. However, if raising these boats can confirm the adequacy of the existing approach, it will be a useful measure in increasing public confidence.

“On the other hand, if raising the boats uncovers new evidence, it will justify a review of procedures.”