No confirmed sightings of Satchwell since disappearance

There have been no confirmed sightings of missing Cork woman Tina Satchwell since the day she went missing, gardaí have confirmed.

Despite repeated appeals and a number of phone calls from the public, the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the 45-year-old are still a mystery.

As the search continues, her husband Richard said he feels he now has the support of the local community in Youghal, despite initial impressions to the contrary.

“They weren’t before, but they are now,” he said when asked if he felt the community was behind him, as his wife’s disappearance enters a sixth month.

Mr Satchwell and his wife moved to Youghal from Tina’s home town of Fermoy eight months before she disappeared last March.

Mr Satchwell was speaking after gardaí, coastguard and army units, including the force’s water unit and search dogs, conducted two simultaneous search operations in Youghal over the weekend.

The searches focused at low tide on Youghal harbour, close to the Satchwells’ house, and also on 100m of roadside ditch on Golf Links Road, 1km above the town.

Two education centres on Golf Links Road were also searched, along with waste ground surrounding a nearby telephone mast.

Gardaí say “no new developments” emerged but it had been a “significant” process and further searches may ensue. They said their inquiries are of a “local, national, and international” status.

Mr Satchwell said he was told of the operation in advance and updated throughout. He said he got “about 80” phone calls following the weekend searches, primarily from media sources.

He said he now he wished to remain silent until such time as he has “more positive news”.

Tina Satchwell, nee Dingivan, is 5’ 6” tall, medium build, blue eyes with blonde shoulder-length hair. Relatives say her disappearance is “completely out of character”.

English-born Mr Satchwell reported her missing from their home in Grattan Street on March 24, four days after he says he last saw her.

He said two suitcases and €26,000 cash also went missing but his wife’s passport and phone remained behind.

Last month, Mr Satchwell revealed he had found two suitcases by Tesco recycling bins last April, which gardaí had removed for analysis.