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HOPES of finding any more survivors from the Irish fishing boat Tit Bonhomme,. which sank off the coast of Cork on Sunday morning, have all but faded.
An extensive air sea search resumed in the Glandore Bay area yesterday, without locating any of the missing five crewmen. It was hampered by heavy seas and was called off last night, but will resume today when divers will again try to search the wreck for possible bodies.
One Egyptian fisherman was rescued and was treated at Cork University Hospital. The missing men have been named as the skipper Michael Hayes, 52, a Dublin based student Kevin Kershaw, 21, and Egyptians Waal Addelgwad, Ali Eldien and Zhaban Farrg.
Mr Hayes was described as a highly experienced fisherman and it was reported that 21-year-old Mr Kershaw had been thinking of a career in fishing and had gone out on the Tit Bonhomme to establish if life at sea suited him. The vessel ran aground after encountering a force 7-8 strong south westerly gale early on Sunday.
Members of the crew families have been taken to the search site by other local boats, while the Irish naval service, police divers, the Irish coastguards, the RNLI and several fishing boats conducted a thorough search of the area. The Navy said they were concentrating their efforts "on pockets of debris in the bay where conditions are suitable for diving and have completed operations in those areas".
It also emerged that the former French built Tit Bonhomme was involved in another incident in 2007 when a crewman suffered serious head injuries while fishing off the south west coast of England. A Royal Navy fishery protection ship HMS Mersey despatched two trained first aiders and the injured man was airlifted to hospital by naval helicopter.
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