Investigation promised as 3 die in crash between yacht, cargo vessel

The Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, has promised a "speedy and thorough" investigation into the collision between a yacht and a cargo vessel in Dublin Bay yesterday which claimed three lives with a fourth man missing, believed dead.

One member of the five crew on the yacht, the Debonaire from Malahide, north Dublin, survived the collision with a 67metre merchant ship, Bluebird, about a mile east of Poolbeg Lighthouse shortly before 3 a.m.

Gardai named those who died as Mr Mark Styles (39), the yacht's owner from Knocklyon Close, Dublin, married with two children; Mr Rowan Smith (47), from Hazelbrook Road, Terenure, Dublin, who was married with two children; and Ms Eleanor Cullen of Kerrymount Rise, Foxrock, Dublin, also married with two children. The search was continuing last night for Mr Glen Styles, brother of the yacht owner, who is married with two children.

Dublin Port has also initiated an investigation into the incident, which occurred in calm weather when the ship was entering Dublin Port. The Blue- bird had just taken a pilot on board and was steaming up the fairway to the Liffey mouth when it struck the yacht, which was in the main channel.

It is believed there was radio contact between the two vessels before the incident, but the wash may have affected the yacht's course. The yacht sank shortly afterwards and was located by an oil slick on the water surface and use of sonar.

The sole survivor, named as Mr Philip Daly (44), from Ballyboden, was spotted in the water by the Dublin Port pilot boat, Tolka which had been proceeding upriver and returned to the scene when the alert was raised. The body of one of the crew was also located immediately and was taken on board the Dun Laoghaire lifeboat, according to Dublin Port.

Mr Daly is understood to have assisted in the search before being taken to St Michael's Hospital in Dun Laoghaire, where he was described as "stable" but in shock.

It is understood several of the yacht's crew were below in their berths when the incident occurred. The Debonaire, a Shamrock class vessel with a berth at Malahide marina, was one of many yachts which sailed to the port at the weekend to view the St Patrick's festival fireworks.

It is believed to have been heading for Howth, pending a return to Malahide which is tidal. Yachts are not obliged to alert Dublin Port radio of their movements, but are advised to keep clear of the main channel to the port.

All port traffic was suspended as an air and sea search was mobilised, involving the Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky helicopter from Dublin, the Dun Laog haire and Howth lifeboats, Garda and port sub-aqua divers and many pleasure craft. Two bodies were recovered within several hours, and ferry traffic resumed for a short period after lunchtime. Shipping was restricted as divers continued the search for the last crew member.

The Department of the Marine's chief surveyor and deputy were on the scene from early yesterday. Speaking from Galway, the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, expressed his deepest sympathy to the families of those involved, and praised the emergency services and the port authorities and other craft for their response.

The collision occurred just a week after four sailors were injured when a steel tug hit their 26-foot yacht in the bay, and almost 10 years after the last serious accident within half a mile of that location - the collision between two ships, the MV Kilkenny and MV Hasselwerder, in which three people died.

The Department of the Marine and Natural Resources and Dublin Port are investigating last week's accident, which occurred half way between Poolbeg lighthouse and Dun Laoghaire harbour when a steel tug involved in pipe-laying for the Dublin Bay sewage treatment project, hit the 26-foot yacht, Dymous, a committee boat monitoring a Dun Laoghaire regatta.

In November, 1991, the Kilkenny a B&I Line container ship, was returning from Antwerp with a crew of 14 when it collided with the Hasselwerder, a German registered container vessel en route to Antwerp.

The three B&I crew who died then were Mr Patrick Kehoe (49), single, from Wexford town, who was first officer on the ship, Mr David Harding (54), a father of three from Howth, Co Dublin, who was bosun, and Mr Desmond Hayes (29) from North Strand, Dublin.