Divers on stand-by as search for missing fishermen ends for day

A third day of searching has failed to locate the bodies of five fishermen missing after their trawler sank off West Cork.

Prayer services have been held on the pier in Union Hall, where families of the missing men have gathered awaiting news.

This evening, the fleet of fishing trawlers involved in this search returns to port, after a third unsuccessful day of searching.

The LE Niamh and Naval dive team remain on the scene, but the bad weather in the area has continued to prevent safe diving operations in the immediate vicinity of the Tit Bonhomme.

Some diving operations have been successfully completed in the bay by the dive team, but the Navy said diving operations on the vessel itself "remain an unacceptable risk to life".

Many relatives of the missing went out to sea, to help in the search, in the hope of bringing their bodies back to shore.

Naval dive team leader, Lieutenant Conor Kirwan said this afternoon: "Conditions in the immediate vicinity of the vessel remain particularly treacherous, only the Naval and Garda Dive Teams with their extensive support should dive the Tit Bonhomme. We do not want to compound this tragedy with a further tragedy."

The Coastguard, Lt Kirwan and Gardaí are continuing to monitor weather conditions and hope a change in weather may allow a window to extend diving operations to the vessel.

In the Dáil, the Taoiseach offered his sympathies, while the Bishop of Cork John Buckley travelled to Union Hall to pray with those gathered on the pier.