Elderly man dies; nine others rescued after boat capsizes off south coast

An elderly man has died and nine others were rescued after five hours in the sea when their boat capsized off the south coast.

The group had gone on a fishing trip from Co Wexford when the accident happened off the Saltee Islands yesterday evening.

Someone who knew the party had gone fishing at 4pm and were due back before sunset raised the alarm with Kilmore Quay RNLI when they failed to return.

Fethard RNLI and the Saltee Islands passenger ferry An Crossan joined the search and rescue operation, which was launched at 11.30pm.

Within an hour the lifeboat from Kilmore was making its way towards Ballyteigue and the Coningmore Rocks when they received contact from the crew of the ferry that they had spotted an upturned hull and eight men, one woman and a teenage boy in the water half a mile south of the Great Saltee Islands.

In the water for up to five hours

All 10 were taken on board the ferry with one man, aged in his 70s, transferred to a lifeboat before being airlifted to Waterford University Hospital in a critical condition. He was later pronounced dead.

Weather conditions at the time were overcast and there was a force 2-3 south westerly wind blowing, the RNLI said.

It is thought the fishing party were all wearing lifejackets had been in the water for up to five hours.

Their boat, an 18ft leisure craft, is understood to have overturned in choppy water when a breaking wave stove in the windows in the wheelhouse and swamped the vessel.

It is understood the group could be heard in the water shouting after the ferry’s lights went out briefly during the search and rescue.

Several of them were suffering from shock and were treated for the effects of hypothermia.

The group is believed to be from the Wexford area originally and some are part of the same extended family, a number of whom were on a trip home for the get together.

The Marine Casualty Investigation Board will be investigating.

Local gardaí were also liaising with the group to ensure next of kin are informed.

Aidan Bates, Kilmore Quay RNLI, said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in this incident and we would like to wish them all a speedy recovery from their ordeal.

“The party had done the right thing in letting someone know when they were due back and thankfully, as a result of that, the alarm was able to be raised.”