The wreck of a trawler which disappeared with three generations of one family on board has been located off the coast of Co Down.
The Tullaghmurry Lass disappeared on February 14th while out fishing for prawns. On board were an eight-year-old boy, his 32-year-old father and 54-year-old grandfather, all named Michael Greene.
In the weeks following the boat's disappearance an intensive search was mounted by the Naval Service and the Royal Navy, but to no avail. It was not until Thursday night that signs of wreckage were picked up by sonar equipment on board a search ship, the Ken Vickers.
Divers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland were sent down 42 metres to the seabed yesterday afternoon and positively identified the Tullaghmurry Lass, but found no bodies.
Some reports suggested the boat had sustained heavy damage to its stern and wheel house, and there has been speculation that this was evidence of a collision. Admiral John Lang of the British Marine Accident Investigations Unit confirmed there was damage to the ship's stern but refused to rule out other explanations. "We will go where the evidence takes us," he said.
Mr Geoffrey Greene, whose father and brother were on the boat, said the family was relieved the boat had been found. He said the time since it went missing had been "five weeks of torment and torture".
"At least we know where the boat is and at least we know how she went down," he said.
The Tullaghmurry Lass had been due to be decommissioned under a government scheme, but Mr Greene said his family believed his father and brother were not responsible for whatever might have happened to the boat.
"They were much too experienced for something simple to have happened," he said.