A young fisherman lost overboard from a trawler yesterday afternoon and presumed drowned was named last night as Mr Aidan Burke (20), of Drishane Road, Millstreet, Co Cork.
It is understood Mr Burke had been fishing for only a short time and had joined the five-man crew of the Sceptre, which was fishing out of Union Hall, a fortnight ago.
The trawler left Union Hall at 6 a.m. yesterday and it is believed Mr Burke was washed off the deck in very heavy seas near the Seven Heads area of the coastline, between the Old Head of Kinsale and Dunworley Bay.
An air and sea search began immediately in mid-afternoon but only the boots Mr Burke had been wearing were found. Visibility was so poor a Sikorsky helicopter from Shannon returned to base. Local boats joined the Courtmacsharry lifeboat, the LE Orla and the LE Aoife in the search.
Mr Burke was wearing a full set of oilskins which would have hampered attempts to stay afloat. The search will continue today.
Meanwhile, the search for three bodies believed to be on board the wreck of the Castletownbere trawler, St Gervase, which sank in the early hours of Friday after hitting rocks near Mizen Head, was called off yesterday because of poor weather.
The forecast for the Mizzen Head area for today may also prevent diving on the wreck.
The funeral of Mr Timothy Angland, of Mayfield, Cork, whose body was recovered from the trawler on Friday, will take place today following 11 a.m. Requiem Mass at the Church of Our Lady Crowned in Mayfield.
Meanwhile, Mr Jose Manuel Chouza (44), of La Coruna in north western Spain, a crewman on the trawler Slebech, died yesterday at the Regional Hospital in Limerick where he was being treated for injuries to his lungs and ribs suffered on November 12th.