Search for trawler set to intensify

HMS Bridport is using sonar equipment

The search is continuing for the fishing boat that went missing off the coast of County Down last week.

Strong winds hampered efforts on Tuesday when the Royal Naval vessel, HMS Bridport, joined the search for the Tullaghmurray Lass and its crew.

The ship picked up a signal using its sonar equipment earlier on Tuesday, but it turned out to be a large rock.

The Irish naval ship, Le Eithne, is also taking part in the search for the vessel which went missing last Thursday, with three generations of the same family on board.

Gabriel Greene: Elder victim's brother

A meeting was held on Tuesday with fishermen in Kilkeel to gather local knowledge and to co-ordinate the search.

It is hoped the search will locate the bodies of the three members of the Greene family, an eight-year-old boy, his 32-year-old father and 54-year-old grandfather.

Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Jim Nisbett said his ship's equipment could prove vital in finding the missing trawler.

Speaking on Wednesday, he said there were no guarantees that the bodies would be recovered.

"Any underwater search cannot be an exact science," he said.

"However, we have brought a considerable amount of technology with us and will bring that to bear on the search.

"Within the areas that I'm operating and what I've seen in the last 24 hours, I'm confident that we are seeing everything on the seabed in those areas."

The Irish naval service vessel also has a team of divers, but they can only be used in perfect weather conditions.

The coastguard ended its search for the family, all of whom were called Michael, on Saturday, but local boats have continued looking.

Investigators

Their boat was due to return to Kilkeel last Friday.

The Ken Vickers, the sonar-equipped vessel which belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, continued the search off Carlingford Lough.

Meanwhile, a team of three investigators from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch based in Southampton has been tasked to establish the cause of the tragedy.

The 10 metre vessel, was due to be taken out of service next month under a government decommissioning scheme.

On Monday, Northern Ireland Fisheries Minister Brid Rodgers expressed her deepest sympathies to the relatives of the Greene family and said her officials would do all they could to find out the cause of the tragedy.