Coastguards realistic on hopes of finding missing fishermen

Coastguards are being realistic over the continuing search for two fishermen missing since their boat sank off the Co Wexford coast last night.

Seven local trawlers and two lifeboats have now joined the search for survivors of The Maggee B, which went down five and a half miles south of the Hook Head peninsula.

The 15ft trawler, which was out of Kilmore Quay in Wexford, sent out a mayday signal at about 11pm. A third crew member of the Irish vessel was found just before midnight clinging to a life raft and suffering from hypothermia

“Come nightfall tonight the two fishermen will be missing for 24 hours and the sea temperature is six degrees so we have to be realistic, but for the moment we are continuing the search for survivors,” said Chris Reynolds, of the Irish Coastguard.

“Regrettably all the life rafts are accounted for, there is no other life saving apparatus out there that they could be clinging to.”

Two Polish fishermen and an Irish skipper had been on board the beam trawler, which was dredging the sea bed for scallops and shellfish.

Mr Reynolds, who has spoken to the survivor, continued: “As we expected last night the vessel sank quite quickly and both Polish crewmen ended up in the water separated from the Irish skipper. The survivor was able to hold on to a life raft until rescue came to him about 50 minutes after the vessel sank.

“There were another two boats out at the same time, but not exactly in that area and indeed those boats assisted in the search when it became clear a mayday had been called.”

Naval vessel LE Ciara is currently co-ordinating the sea search, along with the Dunmore East and Kilmore Quay lifeboats and a number of fishing vessels. Coast Guard helicopters from Dublin, Shannon and Waterford have also been searching the area.