Salvage company chosen to raise two trawlers
The salvage company has 14 days to decide whether to accept the tender.
The department will then announce the name of the company. Letters from the department were sent out to the other companies that tendered for the job yesterday informing them of their decision.
The Department of Transport placed adverts on the internet over the past several weeks seeking tenders from salvage companies interested in raising the fishing vessels, the Pere Charles and Maggie B. The closing date was 18 days ago.
The Pere Charles sank in stormy seas as it returned to port with a full catch of herring 3km south-east of Hook Head on January 10. The men who lost their lives were skipper Tomaisín Hennessy, Pat Hennessy, Billy O’Connor, Pat Coady and Andriy Dyrin.
Glen Cott, 30, from Ballycotton, Co Cork, and 45-year-old Polish man Jan Sankowski, died when the Maggie B sank off Hook Head on March 29, 2006. One man survived.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said yesterday a salvage company had been chosen but would not be named until it knows whether it would accept the offer. It is aimed to have the trawlers raised this month due to weather considerations.
The requirements of the Department are to raise both trawlers and related equipment and deliver them upright either alongside or on the quay wall in Arklow Harbour or other suitable harbour in Ireland that the contractor may suggest.
The successful salvage company with also be required to examine and provide full risk assessments for each stage of the operation and to ensure that there is no unnecessary further damage done or unnecessary changes made to the vessels during the raising process.
Salvage efforts are to be completed as soon as reasonably possible having regard to the deep-water location of the vessels and the requirements for health and safety. They have also to bear in mind that missing crew may still be trapped within the wrecks.
Once the wrecks are recovered the salvage company is required to ensure vessels remain afloat and safely stored.
Inspection of the vessels will be carried out by the Irish Coast Guard. The authorities may carry out further inspections. Once inspections are completed disposal is to be carried out within 30 days.
