RELATIVES OF those lost at sea off the Irish and Italian coasts over the past weekend have been united by tragic circumstance. There is a common thread to the continuing searches for survivors from the cruise liner Costa Concordia aground off Tuscany, and the Tit Bonhommetrawler in west Cork: an agonising wait for the families of those still declared missing.
Three days after the twin-rig trawler ran aground in a southeasterly swell approaching Glandore harbour, hopes for the survival of skipper and owner Michael Hayes, Dubliner Kevin Kershaw and Egyptian crew members Said Mohammed, Wael Mohammed and Attea Ahmed Shaban have dimmed. Sole survivor Abdul Mohammed will have to relive his ordeal many times in assisting the official inquiry.
That inquiry by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board is expected to focus on a number of factors, including the vessel’s history and condition, navigational factors and weather, and is expected to take a considerable time. It could reach several conclusions or none. Back in late 2000, a wooden-hulled trawler St Gervase struck rocks below Mizen Head, Co Cork, several hours after leaving Castletownbere with four crew on board. There were no survivors, and the official investigation concluded that whatever happened on the bridge was “shrouded in obscurity”.
Commercial fishing is a high-risk occupation, and there have been many similar incidents on this 7,800 km coastline. However, there have also been radical improvements in safety over the past two decades, due to a combination of factors, including training and continuing education and safety awareness programmes run by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, more sophisticated safety and navigational equipment, and the development of the Irish Coast Guard in tandem with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and other rescue agencies. These improvements have been reflected in a drop in the number of taskings by the Irish Coast Guard to assist fishing craft, from 377 in 2000 to 180 in 2011. Such alerts range from engine failure to injuries on deck to groundings, and the rescue agencies respond to requests from all nationalities of vessel in Irish waters.
All this is unfortunately of little consolation to the families from Waterford, Dublin and Egypt who are anxiously awaiting a break in the weather which may allow Naval Service and Garda divers to search the wreck of the Tit Bonhomme.