Final bid to locate missing fishermen

More than 50 volunteer divers will take part in the search today as part of what is likely to be the last push to find two fishermen who have been missing since their trawler sank off the Cork coast nearly three weeks ago.

Coastguard co-ordinator Tim O’Keeffe said that together with 16 Garda and navy divers they have enough personnel for the underwater search, which will primarily concentrate on the sea bed within Glandore harbour over the next two days.

Mr O’Keeffe appealed for more volunteers to join the land and shore searches which are planned tomorrow, and which will be co-ordinated by gardaí and Civil Defence members.

“We are certainly looking for more volunteers for that. We are asking people to meet at the Union Hall GAA pitch for 9am (today) and again at the same time on Sunday,” Mr O’Keeffe said, asking that volunteers dress appropriately.

The Tit Bonhomme sank after it hit rocks at the mouth of Glandore harbour on Jan 15 with six men on board.

One crewmen, an Egyptian, survived. The bodies of three other crewmen have been recovered, but the search continues for skipper Michael Hayes, 52, and another Egyptian crewman, Saied Aly Eldin, 24.

Members of the Hayes family, including his brother, Tom who is the local garda chief superintendent, continued the search yesterday.

Inspector Colin Collins, who is also helping to co-ordinate the search, said that a fixed-wing plane from the Atlantic Flight School at Cork Airport joined the search yesterday, and searched from Galley Head to Toe Head.

In addition, many volunteer gardaí turned up again yesterday to join on-duty colleagues, coastguard units and Civil Defence members on shoreline searches.

The inspector added that local people were still continuing to man makeshift kitchens on Union Hall pier where they were providing hot food and beverages to the hundreds involved, in what has become one of the most extensive searches ever undertaken in this country.

A number of local trawlers were also involved in the operation again yesterday and will continue to sweep the area during the next two days.

Mr O’Keeffe said the coastguard helicopter based in Waterford would sweep the area today.

He said the weather is expected to deteriorate today, with a westerly front moving in.

“We expect more favourable conditions though for Sunday. On Sunday we will review the operation and it is possible from then on it may be scaled down,” Mr O’Keeffe said.