A CORONER in Derry yesterday ordered an international investigation to be carried out into the deaths of two Co Donegal fishermen who died when their boat capsized in disputed territorial waters in Lough Foyle just over three years ago.
Daniel McDaid (70) and his brother Francis (68), both from Bunn Culkenny, Malin, drowned when their boat, the Strath Marie, was involved in a collision on Lough Foyle on March 14th, 2008, which resulted in their vessel being cut in half. One section of the Strath Mariewas recovered off the Portrush coastline in Northern Ireland. The other section was recovered in waters off Kinnego Bay, near Inishowen Head, Co Donegal.
Solicitor Ciarán Mac Lochlainn, for the family of Daniel McDaid, told Coroner Brian Sherrard: “At best this inquest is investigating the unlawful killing of these two men and at worst the murder of these two men in the mouth of Lough Foyle”.
Mr Mac Lochlainn said it was “a case where a small fishing boat off the coast was run over by a larger vessel, which left the area without stopping and without helping the two fishermen, and the people on board the larger vessel decided in their vested interests not to get involved”.
The Buncrana-based solicitor said the area where the deaths took place was in waters where the jurisdiction was claimed by both the British and Irish governments. He said the deaths were investigated by the Republic’s Marine Casualty Investigation Board, even though the bodies were recovered in “the disputed waters”.
Mr Mac Lochlainn said the fishermen were “crushed by a larger boat which failed to stop and which left both these men in the water, where they drowned. They were completely taken by surprise and they were left on their own to fend for themselves in the water and no help was given to them.”
He claimed the Norwegian-registered Sten Odinleft Derry port on the morning of the incident and records showed it slowed down and changed direction as it travelled through the stretch of water where the incident occurred.
The solicitor said the investigation carried out into the deaths by the Garda, the PSNI, the Marine Casualty Investigation Board and by the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Board was inadequate.
The Norwegian authorities failed to properly examine the Sten Odinafter it travelled to Norway and the Strathclyde police failed to examine the vessel when it later travelled to Glasgow. "The MCIB report into this case was not exhaustive. No explanation has been offered for the deaths of these two fishermen. Timber experts found scraps and marks on the side of their lobster boat."
Mr Mac Lochlainn said the navigational officer and the master of the Sten Odinshould be interviewed and that the authorities in the Republic and in the UK involved in the compilation of the original incident report should all be reinterviewed by officials from the coroner's office.