Marine investigators to probe fatal capsize
The drowning of a Swiss tourist when a boat capsized carrying 10 men was at the centre of a probe by marine accident investigators tonight.
The small motorboat with nine Swiss and one Irish aboard overturned about half a mile off Ireland’s south-west coast in the early hours, sparking a massive rescue operation.
The alarm was raised when one of the men swam ashore in rough seas to get help.
It is understood the others clung to the overturned boat which was swept to a nearby island by the wind. The dead man’s body was later found on the shoreline.
Danny Lynch, Valencia Island Coast Guard station officer, said they were lucky so many made it out alive.
“When you had nine people in the water in those sort of weather conditions and the boat turned upside down we were pretty sure we were looking for nine bodies,” he said.
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) confirmed a probe has been launched into the tragedy.
The Swiss nationals, aged between their mid 50s and mid 60s, flew into Cork airport last night.
It is understood the party was travelling to an uninhabited island where the Irish man, who lives in Switzerland, owns the only holiday home.
They left on the motorboat from a pier close to the fishing village of Schull, about 70 miles south-west of Cork city for the short journey to Coney Island.
But when their motor failed the boat began drifting and took in water, before a massive wave flipped them into the sea.
While one swam to nearby Long Island for help, the rest of the group clung to the overturned boat.
Baltimore lifeboat coxswain Kieran Cotter said conditions were atrocious.
“This was a terrible night to be out,” he said.
“Conditions were very bad and the strong winds combined with the heavy showers and spray meant that the small punt (boat) filled quickly with water and overturned.”
“One of our lifeboat crew is fluent in French and thankfully was able to communicate with the survivor who swam to shore and get quickly apprised of the situation”.
Coastguard units from throughout the area, the Shannon-based rescue helicopter and lifeboats from Baltimore and Castletownbere were all involved in the massive search operation.
“Some of them were in a terrible state of shock,” Mr Cotter added.
“They were very cold, the really didn’t know what hit them.”
The nine survivors were all brought to hospital, but were later discharged.
The Swiss embassy in Dublin said they had been informed about the matter and were providing consular assistance.
