Divers search wreck for missing men
Navy teams have today begun a dive on the wreck of a trawler in the search for the bodies of five fishermen.
A six-man unit is on the site of the sunken boat, the Tit Bonhomme, on Adam’s Island in Glandore Bay, off west Cork, where it went down on Sunday morning.
It is the first time that the weather and Atlantic swells have eased sufficiently to allow divers to get near the wreck.
Nets and other debris being washed in and out of the trawler have also posed serious dangers as the search goes into its fourth day.
The bodies of skipper Michael Hayes, 21-year-old first-time crewman Kevin Kershaw and three experienced Egyptian fishermen are believed to be on board.
Navy spokeswoman Lieutenant Commander Roberta O'Brien said a team of six Navy divers and a co-ordinator were taking advantage of the break in the weather.
It is understood an initial 10-minute assessment dive is normally carried out before divers take to the water for a more extensive search.
The swell dropped to 0.5m (1ft 7in) and the wind shifted direction from southerly to westerly overnight, helping to ease conditions at the wreck site.
Relatives of the missing men have maintained pier-side vigils since the alarm was raised at 6am on Sunday.
"Diving teams have actually got into the wreck this morning, that's the first time they have managed to do that," said Coastguard spokesperson Gerard O'Flynn earlier.
"They made more progress than they had anticipated.
"Diving conditions are difficult, but they got in close to the wreck and they've made an assessment of the options, and they are developing a plan for a more detailed dive this afternoon.
"Visibility is quite good in there."
