Boy (7) killed and four people injured as fishing boat sinks in Dundalk

A SEVEN year old boy died yesterday evening in hospital following a boating accident in Dundalk Bay.

A five year old girl involved in the same accident was in a satisfactory condition at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.

Three others, a man, a 14 year old boy and 12 year old boy, were in the Louth County Hospital, Dundalk where their condition was described as "stable".

Two other men involved in the accident, were not detained in hospital. One is the father of the deceased boy.

The seven were out mackerel fishing in an 18 foot fishing boat and were about a quarter of a mile out from shore at around 12.30 p.m., when their boat began to sink.

It is understood one adult managed to swim to shore, to Giles Quay, outside Dundalk, and raise the alarm.

The Clogherhead lifeboat, gardai and Greenore coastal rescue service were all alerted. An Alouette Air Corps helicopter from Baldonnel flew to the scene.

A fishing boat which was on the scene rescued those at sea and brought them to land. They may have been in the water for around half an hour.

The Air Corps crew performed cardiac resuscitation on the seven year old boy and the five year old girl, before flying the boy to Dundalk Hospital. Having returned to Baldonnell, the Air Corps was resummoned to Dundalk in order to transfer the boy to Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Dublin.

It is understood the fishing party was made up of relatives from a number of families. Conditions were good at sea at the time of the tragedy.