A fund was established yesterday to benefit the eastern European crewmen of the Honeydew II, which sank in heavy seas off Co Waterford last Thursday. The fund will also benefit the wife of the Kinsale-based trawler's missing Polish fisherman.
The Honeydew II's skipper Ger Bohan and Polish crewman Tomasz Jagla are presumed drowned in the incident. Two Lithuanian crew members, Viktoz Losev and Vladimir Kostvr, were rescued after spending nearly 20 hours in a life raft.
The Kinsale Trawler Tragedy Fund was opened at AIB in the town yesterday. The Lithuanian men and the wife and two children of the Polish crewman now find themselves in difficult circumstances.
Relatives of Mr Jagla travelled to Kinsale in recent days and are being accommodated locally. Mr Jagla moved to Kinsale a year ago with his wife, Anita. .
Meanwhile, Monika Nowakowska of the Cork-Polish Association said her thoughts and prayers were with not only the family of the Polish fisherman but with all those affected by the incident.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the fund can do through the AIB Kinsale Trawler Tragedy Fund - Account No 04161182 and Sort Code 93-40-89.