Search for missing fisherman to resume

A LIFELONG fisherman who celebrated his 64th birthday on December 30 is feared drowned after the small boat he was fishing on sank off the south-east coast at Duncannon, Co Wexford, yesterday morning.

John Ennis, from Ballyhack, New Ross, was fishing for mussels when his boat, Na Buachaillí, sank five hundred metres from the seashore close to Arthurstown

The boat, skippered by Richard McNamara, also from Ballyhack, disappeared within minutes, with one observer noting that: “one minute I was looking at the boat. I turned around and within minutes of turning back to look out to sea again the boat had disappeared. I raced to see if it had gone around the corner, but there was no sighting. I immediately raised the alarm.”

The boat left the pier at Arthurstown about 11.30am for the mussel fishing grounds and sank about fifteen minutes later.

Richard McNamara, who is in his mid-thirties, managed to get ashore but was clearly shocked by his ordeal. He was later treated by a local doctor and ambulance crew.

The search and rescue helicopter from Waterford Airport searched the area throughout the afternoon, and was joined at the scene by lifeboats from Fethard-on-Sea and Dunmore East. Local fishing boats joined in the search throughout the afternoon.

Bad weather hampered the search late in the afternoon but by mid-afternoon the location of the vessel had been found and a marker put down in an area where the water is believed to be 40 feet deep.

John Ennis is married to Mai and is the father of four daughters, Martina, Ann, Aisling and Paula. Skipper Richard McNamara and his wife, Jacinta, have nine children.

John Ennis is a lifelong fisherman, having fished out of Arthurstown and Duncannon all his life.

One local said: “The life-giving sea had also been life-taking. He was a highly respected member of the local community and was very close to his family. His wife Mai has lost a loving husband, and four daughters a loving father.”

Locals who gathered on the wet and windswept seashore were clearly shocked by the tragedy which had hit the small close-knit fishing community. As members of the local coastguard carried out searches of the seashore they were joined by local people but they were also forced to call off their search as darkness fell.

As darkness fell in the buffeting wind and rain, the search was called off and will be resumed at first light this morning, weather permitting.