The community on Valentia Island, Co Kerry, was in shock yesterday as the search for Mr Paul Elliott, a Dubliner in his 20s, who has been living near Killarney for the past two years, continued. It is understood he has been living at Kilcummin, outside Killarney.
On Wednesday, the body of Mr Ned Carey, a taxi driver, also of Kilcummin, was recovered from the sea following a tragic fishing expedition off the rocks on Valentia Island.
Mr Elliott and Mr Carey were joined on the fishing trip by two German women, Ms Beatrix Colb and Mrs Dorothy Sattler, both in their 20s, and Mr Jerry Foley, a teacher from Firies, Co Kerry, and his son, Niall (12).
The boy and his father were on a higher ledge preparing bait while the others were fishing near the shoreline. At about 2 p.m., the four people fishing were swept off Culloo rock by a 20-foot wave. The boy ran for almost a mile to find a telephone to alert the Valentia lifeboat, which put to sea within six minutes.
When the lifeboat arrived some 30 minutes later, Mr Carey was taken from the sea but attempts to resuscitate him failed. The two women managed to survive in the rough seas. One was suffering from shock, the other from a hip injury. Both were recovering at Tralee General Hospital yesterday. The Valentia lifeboat yesterday continued to search for the missing man. The Naval Service vessel, LE Aisling, was also on site and Naval divers carried out a search.