Trawler thieves sail into trouble

TWO men suspected of stealing a fishing boat from the harbour at Dunmore East in the early hours of yesterday morning were, reportedly, trying to make their way into Waterford city before their plan was scuppered when the craft got into difficulty.

Extremely calm sea conditions ensured two people who got into difficulty were rescued and suffered no long-lasting injury.

One, however, showed signs of hypothermia when picked up by a RNLI crew from a life raft.

Gardaí in Waterford are investigating alleged criminal damage to a 10-metre trawler, which is used by owner David Mason and his workmates to fish for lobsters in the shallow waters off Dunmore East and around the Waterford estuary.

Human excrement was found on board the boat, the Cashin Heather, while damage was also caused to the propeller, ignition and the door. Oil from the fuel drums was emptied and the distress flares set off.

“It was a wicked shock altogether when I saw it,” Mr Mason said yesterday.

The boat-owner and part-time fisherman from Cheekpoint said that the Cashin Heather would be used most days for fishing, but it would be several days before repairs could be completed to make it seaworthy again.

“I got word at about 5.30 this morning that something was up,” he said.

“The lifeboat contacted me. They knew it was my boat, and I went down to the quay. The lifeboat was towing it back from the rocks.”

It’s understood the boat, which has been in the Mason family for more than seven years, was stolen at about 4am from the harbour wall at Dunmore East.

It was the first at hand when the men responsible arrived on the scene and they managed to get as far as Craven Head, close to Woodstown beach, before experiencing problems.

The men raised the alarm when the propeller and ignition failed and the boat ran into rocks. The lifeboats from Fethard-on-Sea and Dunmore East were alerted while the Dunmore East Coast Guard was also involved.

One of the men was rescued from the fishing boat itself, while another man, dressed only in his boxer shorts, was found on a life raft. Neither man was wearing a life jacket.

“The sea was like glass and it was very sheltered,” said Fethard-on-Sea life-boat spokeswoman Mary Trehin yesterday. “If conditions were bad we could have been looking for two bodies.”

Both were brought by lifeboat to Woodstown Beach and the man wearing boxer shorts was subsequently transferred to Waterford Regional Hospital, suffering from symptoms of hypothermia, after an ambulance was called by the Irish Coast Guard. He was later discharged.

The Cashin Heather was towed back towards shore and brought to the harbour.

Gardaí in Waterford are preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions after interviewing two men yesterday morning and afternoon at the Garda Station in Waterford city.

The men, aged 25 and 27, were released without charge.