Family urges boat search to resume

Naval vessels were involved in the search

Relatives of the three generations of the Greene family missing on a Kilkeel fishing boat have called for the official search to resume.

The operation was called off on Tuesday - just before news emerged that part of the missing boat had been found off the County Down coast.

Sean Greene, who lost his brother, nephew and grandnephew in the tragedy, said he hoped the British and Irish Navy would now return to Kilkeel.

"We are getting ourselves organised to trawl the areas where the piece of timber was picked up from," he said.

The two wives are just going through absolute torture

Sean Greene

"I'm a skipper myself and my boat will be going out as well."

He added: "I am determined to do it. The two wives are just going through absolute torture and they want the bodies of their loved ones brought home."

Local fishermen will meet later on Thursday to discuss what to do next in the search for the Tullaghmurry Lass.

Part of the wheelhouse of the fishing boat was found on Tuesday.

It disappeared on 14 February with the loss of three generations of the Greene family.

An eight-year-old boy, his 32-year-old father and 54-year-old grandfather, all called Michael Greene, were on board the boat.

The recovered chunk of wood was caught in the nets of a boat fishing for prawns just south of the area where the search has been concentrated.

Discovery

Members of the Greene family positively identified it as part of the wheelhouse of the Tullaghmurry Lass.

They are said to have been heartened by the discovery.

The search involving Royal and Irish navy vessels was due to stop at midday on Wednesday.

Vessels from the Royal and Irish navies, the Bangor, the Bridport and the Eithne have searched a 70 square mile area off the coast at Kilkeel.

Sea conditions were too rough for a search of the area where the wreckage was recovered to be undertaken on Wednesday.

It was hoped, however, that the Bangor and the Eithne can be called back to resume the search once weather conditions improve.

Probe

Admiral Lang, who is in charge of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, has been informed of this latest development.

He said more evidence was needed before he could ask the Royal Navy to rejoin the search and appealed for local fishermen to keep looking.

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Investigators are to stay on as part of a major probe into the circumstances of the boat's disappearance.

Search co-ordinator Charlie McBride said he hoped the search could have continued until the weekend.

Mr McBride spent a two weeks on board the Irish naval vessel the Eithne.

"It was very very professional and I have no doubt that every part of the area we asked to be searched, was searched. We can have no complaints about that," he said.

Investigators have been examining evidence which may implicate another ship in the sinking of the Tullaghmurry Lass.

The missing boat was due to be decommissioned under a government scheme.