Navy divers fail to find two missing Wexford men

Naval divers today searched close to the wreck of the Rising Sunfishing boat which capsized last week but did not find the bodies of the two men missing off the Wexford coast.

Naval Service divers working from Irish Lights' vessel, Granuaileresumed conducted a seabed search to the east of the wreck of the boat this afternoon, which is about 50 metres beneath the surface. The search was called off shortly after 3pm as conditions deteriorated and visability fell to under three feet.

In a statement the Coast Guard said a remote operating vehicle (ROV) has been brought to the scene from Cork and that if it proves successful, searching will continue through the night using it.

Two of the crew of the Rising Sunwere rescued last Tuesday night after the vessel capsized. Ian Tierney and Jimmy Myler were brought to Wexford General Hospital but Mr Myler died shortly afterwards.

The bodies of the boat's skipper, Pat Colfer, and Billy O'Connor the diver and former vice-president of the Irish Underwater Council who was reported missing following a dive off the wreck last Thursday, have not yet been found.

Earlier today senior Irish Naval Service and Coastguard figures met the families of the two men.

The Commander of Fleet Operations at the Irish Naval Service, Eugene Ryan, and the head of the Irish Coastguard, Captain Liam Kirwan, briefed the families on the search.

This followed criticism of the recovery operation by relatives of the men who claimed the one mile exclusion zone imposed by the Coastguard around the wreck was frustrating local attempts to search for the men.

A spokesman for the Irish Naval Service said the intention was to brief the families on the rescue operation and "to assure them all was being done to find the men".