Search continues for missing sailor as sunken yacht is raised

The damaged hull of the yacht, Debonair, will be examined by marine surveyors in Dublin Port today, following Sunday's collision with a merchant ship in Dublin Bay in which three people lost their lives and one is missing.

A Dublin Port floating crane raised the yacht from about 30 feet of water, a mile east of the Poolbeg Lighthouse yesterday afternoon, as an air and sea search continued for the body of one missing sailor, Mr Glen Styles.

Mr Styles was a brother of the yacht's owner, Mr Mark Styles, who also died in the collision along with Mr Rowan Smith and Ms Eleanor Cullen, all of south Dublin.

All four were married, each the parents of two children. One survivor, Mr Philip Daly, was taken to St Michael's Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, after the incident.

The Garda sub-aqua unit assisted the port authorities with the lift, but it had already been established on Sunday that the missing man's body was not on board.

The Debonair was taken upriver for transfer ashore.

Dublin Port and the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources are carrying out separate investigations into the incident, which occurred only a week after a collision farther out in the bay between a steel workboat and a yacht.

The investigations are expected to focus on the proximity of the two vessels in the minutes before the collision which occurred shortly before 3 a.m. on Sunday.

The Debonair was returning to Malahide marina, where it had a berth. Those aboard had watched the St Patrick's festival Skyfest on Saturday night. The Bluebird, a merchant vessel carrying grain, was entering the port and had just taken a pilot on board when the collision occurred.

Dublin Port has confirmed that the ship did have sight of the yacht, which was in the main channel at the time.

On the high seas, steam must give way to sail but this does not apply in many port areas where priority is given to commercial traffic.

International regulations for prevention of collisions at sea state that vessels under 20 metres must not impede the safe passage of a vessel which can only navigate in the narrow channel or fairway.

The regulations also state that all appropriate action must be taken by ships' masters to avoid collision.

The Dublin Harbour Master, Capt Bob Wiltshire, said he was focusing his attention on the ongoing investigation. "Clearly, this has been a traumatic time for all involved. On my own behalf and on behalf of Dublin Port Company, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the families of those lost and missing. I would also like to pay tribute to all involved in the rescue effort, particularly our own pilot and pilot boat crew and the lifeboat teams who were on site so promptly after the incident."