Diver missing in search for Wexford fisherman

A local diver involved in the search for a missing skipper whose fishing boat sank on Tuesday off the Co Wexford coast has gone missing.

Kilmore Quay life-boat taking part in the search operation.

The man was diving in an attempt to establish whether or not an oil slick spotted near the Saltee Islands belonged to the sunken lobster boat the Rising Sun.

The alarm was raised when his diving partner resurfaced alone earlier this afternoon. The diver said he had his colleague in visual contact until about eight metres below the surface.

The men were believed to have been experienced divers from a local sub-aqua club and took the decision to dive following the lifting of the dive-exclusion order this morning.

The one mile exclusion zone had been set up as oil and debris was seeping up from the wreckage on the sea bed.

According to a coastguard spokesman the diver confirmed the wreckage was that of the Rising Sun.

The 26-foot vessel went down on Tuesday afternoon with three men on board.

Two men were rescued about seven hours later by local fishermen and taken to Wexford General Hospital.

One man, a father-of-four named as Jimmy Meyler, was pronounced dead on arrival.

The second man, Ian Tierney (26) is understood to be in a stable condition suffering from hypothermia.

Skipper, Patrick Colfer (37) from Slade, a well known fisherman in the Kilmore area, was at the wheelhouse manning the radio when the boat suddenly capsized. The father-of-two was not seen again after the vessel went down and it is unclear if he is still with the vessel.

The men had been laying lobster pots on the Rising Sunnear Carnsore Point when it went down.

Three Coastguard units, including the coastguard helicopter, and local fishing boats are involved in the search co-ordinated by Irish naval vessel the LE Emer.

A spokesman for the coastguard said the search will continue into the night but warned it may be hampered in the morning as force 9 winds are forecast.