Dive to recover fishermen's bodies may face week-long delay
The dive to recover the bodies of the five fishermen who went down with the Pere Charles trawler could be delayed for at least a week, the Coast Guard said tonight.
Despite relatively calm seas allowing navy divers to reach the boat, they were prevented from getting inside the wheelhouse as the door had been crushed and jammed shut.
A separate hatch further nearer the stern is the only other option at this stage.
But with the weather set to worsen, hopes are fading that they will be able to get back to the boat within the next seven days.
Tangled nets, ropes and poor visibility made conditions on the seabed extremely hazardous, Coast Guard spokesman Chris Reynolds said.
“It was very difficult and very hazardous with the vessel itself moving on the sea bed. With the vessel on its side it’s extremely disorientating, all in all they are very bad conditions,” he said.
Mr Reynolds said that going by Met Eireann’s seven-day forecast there will be no diving opportunities, but he added they would continue to monitor conditions for any available window.
Today had been the first relatively calm day since the Pere Charles went down last Wednesday.
But the divers were hampered by strong tides, currents and poor visibility which dropped to a foot and a half below the surface. Nets, ropes and debris on the seabed next to the trawler also caused difficulties.
Mr Reynolds said the way into the vessel was blocked by tangled nets which had to be cut away before divers realised the wheelhouse door had been crushed shut.
The Pere Charles is lying on its side in about 30 metres of water, two and a half miles from Dunmore East.
Ger Hegarty, Coast Guard divisional operator, said: “Weather conditions were very favourable today but will deteriorate tonight with gale force winds tomorrow. The chances of a dive tomorrow are highly unlikely.”
Up to 180 people searched the shore from Carnsore Point to Ardmore.
More of the wreckage of the Honey Dew II has been recovered along with clothes belonging to the crew. Boots, jeans and waterproof clothing were picked up by search teams.
All the wreckage recovered is being collected and will be examined by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board which is conducting inquiries into both tragedies.
The investigation will focus on why the emergency distress beacon on the Honey Dew II failed to register a call to the emergency services, resulting in an 18-hour delay before the alarm was raised that it had gone down.
