Hopes Fade for Five Trawlermen Missing Off Irish Coast

Hopes Fade For Five Missing Trawlermen

Hopes are fading for the safe return of five men missing after a trawler sank off the west Irish coast.

It is believed the Irish-registered vessel, the Tit Bonhomme, struck rocks just off Cork in the early hours of Sunday.

The crew made a distress call to the Coast Guard at around 6am, but it was cut off and all radio contact was lost.

A 21-year-old student from Clonakilty, Co Cork, who was interested in taking up a career at sea, is thought to have been onboard when the vessel went down along with skipper Michael Hayes and four Egyptian crewmen.

One of the Egyptian fishermen was rescued and is said to be in a comfortable condition at Cork University Hospital.

Distraught relatives of the missing men gathered on the wind-swept pier throughout the day waiting for news on the whereabouts of their loved ones as locals trawlers and a Naval Service vessel joined coastguard helicopters in the search for the missing men.

Strong winds and heavy seas hampered the search and rescue mission throughout the day.

Vincent O'Donovan, of Courtmacsherry Lifeboat station, said the Tit Bonhomme had taken some battering in the rough waters.

"Conditions had been bad all last night and this morning," he said. "It was force 7 to 8, and it was a south east wind, which causes difficulties off that coast. It was very bleak with a very heavy swell."

The lifeboat launched shortly after 6am and spotted debris in the water close to the mouth of Union Hall harbour, believed to be wreckage from the trawler, around an hour and a half later.

But despite efforts throughout the day, no other survivors were found.

Navy and Garda divers are to examine the wreckage, which is grounded on the seabed and partially visible at low tide, tomorrow as a full air, land and sea search is resumed.

Declan Geoghegan, Coast Guard operations manager, said: "I'd be very surprised if we are looking for survivors at this stage."

The local parish priest said the close-knit community was devastated.

"The tragedy that has hit this community is awful for everyone," said Father Michael Curran, "Something like this affects everybody deeply. A lot of people here are involved in fishing."

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