West Cork rescue teams await go-ahead for underwater search

Rescue teams are waiting for an assessment from naval dive teams to see if an underwater search of the sunken fishing vessel The Tit Bonhomme can take place today.

An earlier search by the garda dive unit further up the harbour revealed no new information.

The Irish Naval vessel the LE Niamh is assisted on the scene off the West Cork coast by lifeboat crews, a helicopter crew, coastguard units and local fishing vessels.

Five crewmen are missing after the vessel sank on its way back into port following a fishing trip.

Acting divisional controller with Valentia Coastguard John Draper, which is coordinating the search, said it was too early to say whether a dive would take place later this afternoon.

"The garda unit has carried out a dive further up the harbour - not on the wreck site, but further up where the swell condition was such that they could do a dive, but there was nothing to report from that dive," he added.

Amongst the missing are the skipper, 52-year-old father of four Michael Hayes, orignally from Waterford but who had been operating the trawler out of Union Hall in West Cork.

Also missing is 21-year-old Kevin Kershaw from Clonakility, who it is thought had gone out on the vessel with a view to considering a career in fishing.

Extensive searches yesterday failed to locate the men, and their three Egyptian crewmates, who had been living in Skibereen.