30/11/2004

Search for fisherman resumes on Lough Erne

The search for a missing fisherman has resumed today on Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh.

The missing man, reported to be a father of three, is understood to be an experienced fisherman and was wearing a lifejacket when he was last seen. Coastguard hope that he has found shelter on shore.

The Coastguard received a telephone call around 3:15pm on Monday afternoon from the Police Service of Northern Ireland reporting that a small dinghy had been spotted drifting off shore on Upper Lough Erne by two visitors to the marina at Bellanaleck. Police said that the two had passed the dinghy at about 1.00 p.m. on Monday and had seen someone fishing from the vessel. Later, however, they saw the dinghy empty and drifting.

When the small, motorised blue dinghy was retrieved later near Cleenish Island, it was found to contain various belongings including a fishing rod.

The Carrybridge Inshore lifeboat was launched and an Irish Coastguard helicopter was scrambled to assist the search on Monday. An initial sweep with the helicopter's forward-looking infra-red camera revealed no trace of the missing man.

A Coastguard Rescue Team searched the west side of Tamlaght Bay and a team of firefighters searched the nearby shoreline, while the lifeboat began searching the water.

The Enniskillen Inshore lifeboat was asked to launch together with an Irish Coastguard helicopter from Dublin.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Belfast Coastguard as soon as possible on 02891 463933.

(SP)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

05 April 2017
Two Teens Rescued From Rocks In Co Down
Two teenage girls have been rescued after being trapped on rocks in Bangor, Co Down. It is believed they had been stuck on the rocks for a number of hours. Emergency services were alerted just after 9pm on Tuesday, 04 April. Bangor Coastguard Rescue Team, the Coastguard Helicopter and Bangor RNLI Lifeboat were deployed.
16 September 2013
Storms Stop Searches For Missing Man
Searches for a man swept out to sea at Ramore Head in Portrush on Saturday have been hampered by poor weather conditions. A search by the police and coastguard did resume on Sunday morning, but strong winds made conditions too dangerous to continuing searching. It is understood the missing man is 38-years-old and is a Polish national.
02 May 2007
Teenager dies after dinghy capsizes
A teenage boy has died after he and a friend got into difficulties in a dinghy off the north coast at Castlerock. A major air and sea operation was mounted after Robert McMullan, 15, from Coleraine was swept out to sea on Tuesday afternoon at around 3:00pm. He was airlifted to hospital, but died later.
10 April 2006
Climber killed by lightning strike
A man who was found dead on the top of a County Down mountain at the weekend may have been struck by lightning. The man's body was found on Slieve Donard in the Mourne Mountains just before 2pm on Saturday by a group of walkers.
20 August 2004
Coastguard rescue boy swept away in dinghy
The coastguard in Co Down has rescued a 7-year-old boy today after he was swept out to sea in his inflatable dinghy. The child was playing in a yellow rubber inflatable in Murlough Bay when it was caught by a strong offshore wind.