Council asks Navy to resume search

Sonar equipment was used by HMS Bridport

There have been calls for the Navy to reverse the decision to withdraw its vessel from the search off the County Down coast for a missing family and their fishing boat.

On Tuesday afternoon the Royal Navy withdrew the HMS Bridport which had been helping to search for three members of the same family whose Kilkeel fishing boat the Tullaghmurray Lass disappeared 11 days ago.

An eight-year-old boy, his 32-year-old father and 54-year-old grandfather, all called Michael Greene are missing.

Michael Cole: "We have asked for the vessel to be brought back"

On Tuesday evening, Newry and Mourne Council unanimously passed an emergency motion calling on the Navy to maintain a presence off the south-Down coast.

SDLP councillor Michael Cole said: "We have asked the council's chief executive to contact the Navy to ask them to send the ship back again to continue the search."

Ulster Unionist party councillor Isaac Hanna said: "It was a hammer blow to use all today to hear that the vessel was being withdrawn. We had understood she was going to refuel and maybe get a change of crew.

"We feel devastated about it."

Isaac Hanna: "We feel devastated about this"

Local skipper Charlie McBride, who has been involved in the search, also said the Navy ship was pulled out too soon.

"I would plead to the powers that be to keep the two vessels on station until at least the weekend," he said.

The missing boat left the port in Kilkeel to fish for prawns, but never returned.

The Irish naval ship, LE Eithne, is expected to continue searching the area and retrace the route thought to have been taken by the stricken boat.

A team of 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.