Searches of the Irish Sea and off the Louth coast are being scaled down after further efforts yesterday failed to locate the bodies of two cousins missing since a boating accident on Sunday evening.
Thomas Og Callaghan, aged eight, of Blackstick, Ardee, and his cousin, Stuart Callaghan (20) of Cappogue, Dunleer, were among a party of eight who went fishing off Dunany Point on Sunday afternoon. The bodies of Paul Callaghan (12), Tomas Og's brother, and Jim Russell (69) were pulled from the sea late on Sunday night by the crew of the Clogherhead lifeboat.
The four survivors, who were airlifted to safety by the IMES Sikorsky helicopter, were discharged from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda yesterday.
As part of the search operation co-ordinated by the Irish Marine Emergency Services, up to 50 local people have joined IMES units in walking the shore from Dunany to the mouth of the River Boyne in Drogheda.
Louth Civil Defence, Drogheda River Rescue, Eastern Regional Fisheries Board, the Drogheda Sea Angling club and other local fishermen have been taking part in sea searches.
Gardai confirmed that none of the four lifejackets on board the 16-ft vessel had been used, and there was no flare. The alarm was only raised when one of the surviving passengers swam ashore about 90 minutes after the accident.
