A fisherman has died after being rescued by divers from a boat which sank off the Co Down coast.
An air and sea search was mounted after the fishing boat Charisma went down in Carlingford Lough, 90 metres off the shore at Rostrevor yesterday.
Two crew members were lifted quickly from the icy waters by another fishing boat and taken to hospital. But it was nearly 90 minutes later that divers found the third member of the crew trapped in an air bubble inside the boat on the sea-bed.
It was in shallow water and the divers managed to free the man. He was taken ashore by lifeboat and then transported by ambulance to Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry. However, he died a short time later.
The other men were detained in hospital. One was last night described as being in a critical condition; the other as stable. The first Mayday call was picked up by coastguards at 11.44 a.m.
A coastguard spokesman said an RAF helicopter, the local lifeboat and naval patrol vessel were joined by fishing boats, the Police Service diving team and members of a sub-aqua club in the search for the third man.
The spokesman said sea conditions were not rough when the 10-metre Charisma, a mussel boat, capsized. He said it sank in a shallow, well-sheltered area.
An investigation has been started into the incident. The vessel fished out of Kilkeel, Co Down, and the dead man, who was in his late 20s, came from the area. He was known by many members of the rescue team.
Local councillor, Mr Anthony Williamson, said the dead man's mother had watched the tragedy unfold from the shore. He said the fishing community in Rostrevor and Kilkeel would be deeply affected by the death.