Wreckage of missing boat found

The Ken Vickers took police divers to the site

The wreckage of a County Down fishing boat which disappeared with three members of one family on board has been located.

No bodies have been found so far but a further examination of the area, seven miles off the coast of Kilkeel, is being carried out by police divers.

The boat, which had been fishing for prawns, 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 Tullaghmurray Lass disappeared last month

Signs of the wreckage were picked up by sonar equipment on board the Ken Vickers fisheries conservancy vessel, on Thursday night.

On Friday, a police diving team positively identified the wreckage as that of the missing boat.

Geoffrey Greene, whose father, brother and nephew are missing, said the family's main concern was the recovery of the bodies.

"We are relieved that at last people know where the boat is and there is a chance of getting the boys out of there," he told BBC Radio Ulster.

Michael Greene went fishing with his father and grandfather

"It has been five weeks of torment and torture - the worst nightmare you could ever imagine come true."

Mr Greene paid tribute to the people of Kilkeel for the way they had supported the family.

He added that while the recovery of the bodies remained the top priority: "When the dust settles, we will be very interested to find out what happened as there were very experienced people on that boat."

The wreckage of the boat was found 42 metres below the surface and a police spokesman said the divers who had gone down to the boat had found the conditions "pretty hazardous".

Michael Greene went missing with his father and son

"There was only three or four feet visibility and they encountered nets, rigging and other apparatus from the trawler," he said.

Following reports that the boat's stern is badly damaged, there is much speculation at Kilkeel harbour that the boat snak after being hit by another vessel.

Charlie McBride, who helped co-ordinate the search for the Tullaghmurray Lass, said he had had been told it was severely damaged.

He said: "Most of the wheelhouse has gone and there is severe damage to the stern.

Michael Greene senior: Missing after fishing trip

"It is what we suspected all along - that it was involved in some sort of collision."

But Chief Inspector of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch Admiral John Lang said his staff would not speculate about the cause of the sinking.

"A collision could have happened, but it is not the only thing that could have happened. We just won't speculate at this stage," he told BBC Radio Ulster.

"We want to take a closer look at the wreck without disturbing it, using divers and possibly remotely operated cameras.

"We don't know if we will raise the boat. I am very aware of the family's need to recover the bodies. But that is not our responsibility.

Admiral Lang: Hopeful cause of the sinking will be found

"It is our job to find out why she is lying on the seabed."

Admiral Lang said that he could not give an "absolute guarantee" that the cause of the boat's sinking would be found.

But he added: "Our success rate is pretty good. I would hope we will pull all the pieces together."

On 6 March Admiral Lang had called off the official navy search for the boat.

It was just after the boat's wheelhouse was recovered when a chunk of wood was caught in the nets of a boat fishing for prawns just south of the area where the Royal Navy and Irish Navy search had been concentrated.

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

The British and Irish navy vessels, the Bangor, the Bridport and the Eithne had searched a 70 square mile area off the coast at Kilkeel.

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