Bolger brothers were wearing life jackets

Investigations are continuing this afternoon into what caused a fishing vessel to sink off the coast of Waterford yesterday - killing three brothers.

Paul, Shane and Kenny Bolger died when their small punt got into difficulty and partially sank off Tramore.

All three were wearing life jackets when their bodies were recovered from the water.

They had set out from Dunmore East before lunch yesterday to tend to lobster pots before a partial sinking of their vessel led to them being thrown into the water.

A local Councillor, Pat Fitzgerald, who is related to the brothers by marriage, says the men were very experienced on the water and had been fishing all of their lives.

He says locals are mystified as to what went wrong.

"The boat was upturned when it was found - but it was still afloat but upturned" he said.

"They were very close to the boat - they were within a couple of hundred metres of the boat".

"Anymore than that we can't tell...what actual time it happened or how it happened - we have no idea as of yet, anyway" he added.