Search Continues For Missing County Down Trawlerman

THREE Kilkeel fishing boats are among the rescue vessels searching for a missing fisherman, feared drowned in the Irish Sea, writes Anne O'Hare.

Around lunchtime yesterday (Sunday 30 January), the skipper of the 'Zenith', which fishes prawns out of its home port of Kilkeel, called for help in locating a man who had been lost overboard. A Coast Guard rescue helicopter was immediately dispatched from Dublin after the call was received.

It is believed the missing man is a Lithuanian in his 30's and had been swept from the twin-rigged trawler by a huge wave up to three metres high. The man was well known and popular among fishermen in both Ardglass and Kilkeel.

He had recently moved to Kilkeel to take up a berth on a bigger trawler. The search was called off yesterday as light began to fade but resumed again this morning shortly after 8am.

The Clogherhead Life Boat Unit and a Navy vessel expanded the area they are searching, 19 miles east off the coast of Clogherhead, where the incident is reported to have occurred.

Today a spokesperson for the Dublin Coast Guard said: “Weather is more or less the same as yesterday with force four to five winds and visibility slightly better than.”

It remains an anxious time for the Kilkeel fishing community as they are only too aware of the threat posed each time a fishing boat goes out to sea. On 14 February 2002 The Tullaghmurray Lass, left Kilkeel Harbour to fish for prawns.

When the boat failed to return a huge search mission was organised involving local fishing boats, the RNLI, HM Coastguard, and both the Royal and Irish Navies. Two months later the main body of the wreckage and the bodies of the three crew were recovered.

SDLP South Down MP Margaret Ritchie expressed her worry after the incident happened. She said: “This is deeply concerning and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing fisherman at this awful time.

DUP South Down MLA Jim Wells said the communities thoughts would be with the man and his family. He said: “It is a terrible dangerous industry. Men put themselves at huge risk in fishing and regrettably accidents can happen.”