A Naval Service diving team is en route from Cork to north Mayo today to assist in the search for missing lobster fisherman Daniel Doherty.
Mr Doherty (23), from Carrowteigue in Erris, failed to return to shore last Friday evening, after he had left earlier in the day to bait lobster pots on his 10-metre half-decker, Carra Rose.
His boat was located close to Benwee head on Friday night, and an extensive search has involved the local fishing fleet and members of the community, the Irish Coastguard, Garda and voluntary club divers, the RNLI, Civil Defence and Order of Malta.
Civilian drones are also being deployed to scan parts of the coastline. Irish Coastguard helicopters from Shannon, Dublin and Sligo assisted earlier in the week and are due back on Friday and over the weekend.
Irish Coastguard divisional controller Derek Flanagan said the search area was vast, extending from Erris Head to the Stags and to Kid island which is just north of Broadhaven Bay.
“We are trying to explore the area where Daniel dropped his fishing gear and work back from that,”he explained.
He paid tribute to the enormous effort put in by local residents and time spent by fishermen from Ballyglass, Porturlin and Rinroe in assisting the effort.
Gardaí requested the Naval Service’s assistance on Tuesday, when members of the diving team were on courses and at sea.
A six-strong dive team has since been assembled and is travelling to Erris with a rigid inflatable boat and equipment including a sidescan sonar.
Lough Derg
In Tipperary, the RNLI Lough Derg lifeboat and a lake boat assisted five people on a motor cruiser on Wednesday night after it grounded on a rock shelf east of Illaunmore.
Winds were westerly, force two to three, when the lifeboat helmed by Eleanor Hooker, with crew Robbie Garland and Dom Sharkey launched and located the vessel.
The vessel was not holed, and the lifeboat and lake boat assisted in moving it off rocks and escorting it in to Dromineer. All five people on board the cruiser were safe and unharmed.
RNLI Lough Derg deputy launching authority Peter Kennedy advised boat users to be sure to study charts and plan the passage before departure, while also enjoying the lake.
