Locals join search for missing Mayo fisherman

Members of the local community turned out in large numbers on Sunday to comb a rugged stretch of the north Mayo shoreline for 23-year-old Daniel Doherty who has been missing since Friday.

The search for the missing fisherman, who lives at Carratigue, Belmullet, is concentrated on the vicinity of Benwee Head in the Broadhaven Bay area.

It is believed that Mr Doherty got into difficulty late on Friday as he was baiting lobster pots aboard his 30ft half-decker, Carra Rose.

The empty vessel, with its lights on, was located on its side at a beach close to Benwee Head shortly before 9pm on Friday.

Throughout Saturday and Sunday, a Shannon-based coast guard helicopter, along with RNLI lifeboats from Ballyglass and Achill, searched for the man.

They were joined by a number of local fishing boats.

On land, hundreds of people, many of them friends and neighbours of the missing man, scoured the shoreline, where there are steep cliffs and inlets which are difficult to access.

Hugely respected

Mr Doherty is popular and hugely respected locally as “sensible and hard-working”.

His father Brian and mother, Noreen, as well as his brother and sister, were kept informed throughout the day of the progress of the search operation.

Divers were concentrating their efforts on Sunday afternoon on the spot where Mr Doherty’s lobster pots were located.

Weather conditions in the area were poor on Friday with torrential rain but the sea was calm at the time, according to locals.

The alarm was raised by a member of Mr Doherty’s family when he failed to return to Rinroe Pier on Friday evening.

Gerry Coyle, a member of Mayo County Council, described Mr Doherty as “extremely industrious”.

Cllr Coyle added: “For a time, Daniel was a member of our boxing club in Geesala. He is very popular, a thorough gentleman.”

Prayers for Mr Doherty’s safe return were recited at Masses throughout Erris over the weekend.