Trawler changed course significantly

The change of course which led the fishing trawler Tit Bonhomme to smash into Adam’s Island in Glandore Harbour was due to “human intervention”, an inquest heard yesterday, in dramatic testimony that challenges aspects of the only report yet carried out into the tragedy.

Eoghan O’Toole, a marine surveyor working for the Department of Transport, told the inquest into the deaths of five of the Tit Bonhomme’s crew that, at 5.28am on Jan 15, 2012, the vessel had been on “a completely normal course” before changing its direction “significantly” at 5.29am.

Six minutes later, the trawler crashed into Adam’s Island, with the ultimate loss of five lives. Mr O’Toole said the mapping of the ship’s route was done using AIS (Automated Information Systems) or satellite data, and suggested to him that “it required some human input”.