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Father and son die in sea tragedy | |
(about 11 hours later) | |
A father and son have died after falling from a fishing boat off the Irish coast. | |
The pair were thrown from the small boat in heavy seas in Donegal Bay. | |
The Irish Coastguard rescued the pair from the sea at about 1330 GMT on Monday and they were taken to Sligo General Hospital where they later died. | |
They said a search and rescue operation was launched for the father and son off Donegal at about 1230 GMT after a passer-by saw a flare. | |
Officers in Malin Head dispatched the helicopter from Sligo and contacted lifeboat crews in Killibegs and Bundoran but they could not launch due to the weather. | |
"The weather was too poor for those two crews to launch, the winds were up to gale force," a Coastguard spokesman said. | |
A helicopter was on the scene within a half an hour and had found the men and winched them on board by 1330 GMT. | |
Both were suffering from severe hypothermia. | |
They had left Killibegs harbour in a 20ft open deck lobster boat to check on pots in the bay. | |
A Coastguard spokesman said conditions at sea were difficult. | |
"The winds were up to gale force west to north-west and were gusting up to force six and seven," he said. | |
"There were also fairly high seas and a moderate swell." | |
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, two fishermen died after their car plunged off a pier in County Galway. A third man managed to escape from the vehicle. | |
The men are believed to be from Lithuania. Their car fell into the sea at Ros an Mhil harbour, County Galway, on Sunday night at about 2200 BST. | The men are believed to be from Lithuania. Their car fell into the sea at Ros an Mhil harbour, County Galway, on Sunday night at about 2200 BST. |
It is understood that they bought the second-hand car at the weekend and were driving it on the pier when the accident happened. | It is understood that they bought the second-hand car at the weekend and were driving it on the pier when the accident happened. |
The men were members of the crew of a fishing boat operating out of Rossaveal - the harbour for the Aran Islands. | The men were members of the crew of a fishing boat operating out of Rossaveal - the harbour for the Aran Islands. |
The car went over a low protective barrier and plunged into about 10 metres of water. | The car went over a low protective barrier and plunged into about 10 metres of water. |
Sunroof escape | Sunroof escape |
The man who escaped was a back seat passenger and managed to escape through the sun roof and was able to swim to safety. He is said to be deeply traumatised by the accident. | The man who escaped was a back seat passenger and managed to escape through the sun roof and was able to swim to safety. He is said to be deeply traumatised by the accident. |
The alarm was raised, but the two men, who were trapped inside the submerged car, died before a rescue attempt could be made. | The alarm was raised, but the two men, who were trapped inside the submerged car, died before a rescue attempt could be made. |
Garda sub-aqua divers arrived at the scene at 0300 GMT and recovered their bodies. | Garda sub-aqua divers arrived at the scene at 0300 GMT and recovered their bodies. |
They have been taken to University College Hospital in Galway where post mortem examinations will be carried out. | They have been taken to University College Hospital in Galway where post mortem examinations will be carried out. |
The car was also raised from the seabed. Irish police are now trying to establish the sequence of events that led to the tragedy. | The car was also raised from the seabed. Irish police are now trying to establish the sequence of events that led to the tragedy. |