One of the three men on board a fishing boat which sank off the Wexford coast yesterday afternoon was still missing late last night. Two of the fishermen were picked up shortly before 10pm but a third was not found.
The Rising Sun, a 26ft vessel fishing out of Kilmore Quay, went down sometime after 3.30pm off the Saltee Islands.
The skipper, Patrick Colfer, 37, from Slade, Co Wexford, was still missing last night and the search for him continued overnight.
The two fishermen who were rescued were Ian Tierney who is in his mid-20s and from Kilmore Quay, and Jimmy Myler, 47, from Ballyhack.
The naval vessel the LE Orla, the Kilmore Quay, Fethard-on-Sea and Rosslare lifeboats and around 20 local boats were involved in the search late into last night.
Two inshore lifeboats searched along the shore. Carne Coast Guard services searched the coastline from Carne towards Rosslare Harbour.
The coast guard helicopter based in Waterford also took part in the operation.
The small lobster and crab boat set out from Kilmore Quay yesterday morning for a day's fishing off the Saltee Islands.
It was last seen two miles south of the Saltee Islands by another trawler at 3.30pm.
The weather was reported to have been reasonable at that time but visibility reduced as the day progressed.
The Kilmore Quay lifeboat station raised the alarm after the Rising Sun failed to arrive back at Kilmore Quay as expected at 4.30pm.
Kilmore Quay lifeboat put to sea at 6.30pm and was joined by other vessels from the locality.
Two of the fishermen were picked up by the fishing vessel Napier and transferred to the lifeboat.
The lifeboat brought them to Kilmore Quay and they were then taken to Wexford General Hospital.
Mr Myler, who was the more seriously injured of the two men, was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Mr Tierney was greeted on the quayside by his wife, Diane, and his mother. He was able to walk from the lifeboat, and was then taken to hospital by car.
Joe Maddock, chairman of the Irish Fishermen's Association, said that Patrick Colfer, was very well known on the fishing scene.
Boats from Kilmore Quay, Dunmore East, Slade and Fethard-on-Sea took part in the search operation .
