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Team to recover U-boat diver body | Team to recover U-boat diver body |
(about 2 hours later) | |
An operation to recover the body of a diver who died while trying to assess the chances of recovering a sunken German U-boat is to take place later. | An operation to recover the body of a diver who died while trying to assess the chances of recovering a sunken German U-boat is to take place later. |
Michael Hanrahan, a father of four from Dublin, died during a dive at the sunken submarine, 16 miles off Malin Head on the Donegal coast, on Tuesday. | Michael Hanrahan, a father of four from Dublin, died during a dive at the sunken submarine, 16 miles off Malin Head on the Donegal coast, on Tuesday. |
The dive team was filming the U-boat when the diver got into difficulties. | The dive team was filming the U-boat when the diver got into difficulties. |
Other members of the team tried to help him - but they were unsuccessful. It is not clear what led to the accident. | Other members of the team tried to help him - but they were unsuccessful. It is not clear what led to the accident. |
Later on Wednesday, a team will attempt to recover the body. | Later on Wednesday, a team will attempt to recover the body. |
Paul Moore, from BBC Radio Ulster's Your Place and Mine, spent Tuesday with the divers at Malin Head, for a feature he was doing for the programme. | Paul Moore, from BBC Radio Ulster's Your Place and Mine, spent Tuesday with the divers at Malin Head, for a feature he was doing for the programme. |
"It was just such a huge shock, because they were just so excited about it and they seemed to know just what they were doing," Mr Moore said. | "It was just such a huge shock, because they were just so excited about it and they seemed to know just what they were doing," Mr Moore said. |
"It's just such a tragedy for the family." | "It's just such a tragedy for the family." |
He was a gentle giant and a lovely man - we're just devastated Councillor Shaun Gallagher | He was a gentle giant and a lovely man - we're just devastated Councillor Shaun Gallagher |
He said later he was looking at photographs he had taken of the divers. | He said later he was looking at photographs he had taken of the divers. |
"I was looking at these photographs and realising that one of these divers was still there, had had this accident and was now dead," he said. | "I was looking at these photographs and realising that one of these divers was still there, had had this accident and was now dead," he said. |
"Four hours earlier I had been talking to these guys - just four typical guys just loving what they were doing." | "Four hours earlier I had been talking to these guys - just four typical guys just loving what they were doing." |
Derry City councillor Shaun Gallagher paid tribute to Mr Hanrahan. | Derry City councillor Shaun Gallagher paid tribute to Mr Hanrahan. |
"He was a gentle giant and a lovely man - we're just devastated," he said. | "He was a gentle giant and a lovely man - we're just devastated," he said. |
The dive team leaving for the U-boat site on Tuesday | |
It is the second fatal diving incident off the north-west coast in the last two months. | It is the second fatal diving incident off the north-west coast in the last two months. |
At the end of July, Paul Jackson, a police officer from Humberside, had been looking at wrecks off Tory Island but failed to resurface. | At the end of July, Paul Jackson, a police officer from Humberside, had been looking at wrecks off Tory Island but failed to resurface. |
The U-boat, which did not see any war action, sank while being towed from Scotland to Londonderry to be scrapped. | The U-boat, which did not see any war action, sank while being towed from Scotland to Londonderry to be scrapped. |
Derry City Council plans to raise U-778 and house it in a museum. The boat is lying in about 70 metres of water. | Derry City Council plans to raise U-778 and house it in a museum. The boat is lying in about 70 metres of water. |
It is estimated there are about 150 such boats lying off Malin Head, all vivid reminders of the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. | It is estimated there are about 150 such boats lying off Malin Head, all vivid reminders of the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. |
The council said that "because of the depth of the waters involved, the procedure was expected to be highly technical". | The council said that "because of the depth of the waters involved, the procedure was expected to be highly technical". |