Probe into reason why boat capsized after man dies

Investigators are trying to establish why a boat carrying two men in their 40s capsized early yesterday morning, causing the death of one of the men after he spent a number of hours in the sea.

The loss of Johnny Flynn, 43, from Dunmore East, Co Waterford, came six years to the day after five fishermen lost their lives a short distance from the fishing village when the Pere Charles trawler sank in bad weather.

Mr Flynn was winched from the sea near Browns-town Head outside Tramore at about 8.30am yesterday after his friend raised the alarm, but it is believed he died on the way to hospital.

He had been fishing overnight with James Tate, who is from East Cork but has lived in Dunmore East for over 20 years, when their 4.6m-long boat capsized near a sandbank notorious for its swollen waters. The sea in the area was described as “agitated” at the time.

Johnny Flynn was a former member of the RNLI lifeboat crew in Dunmore East. “It’s a big shock,” said lifeboat cox Joefy Murphy yesterday.

It is understood the boat capsized at about 5.30am. Mr Tate was able to swim ashore and raised the alarm.

Meanwhile, A Spanish fisherman who was injured on board a trawler off the west coast yesterday died in hospital in Cork a few hour later.

The 54-year-old suffered extensive head injuries in the incident on board the Nuevo Mugardos as it fished 320km off Loop Head in the early hours.

The alarm was raised at 8.47am and the Shannon-based helicopter, Rescue 115, was tasked to perform a medivac.

Despite poor weather conditions, the crew winched the unconscious fisherman on board and flew him to Cork Airport, where he was transferred by ambulance to Cork University Hospital at around 1.30am. But the man died from his injuries a few hours later.