All deaths in 'Rising Sun' sinking due to drowning, inquest jury finds

The lone survivor of the Rising Suntrawler, which sank off the southeast coast two years ago, yesterday told an inquest at the Coroner's Court in Wexford of the skipper's final moments.

An inquest into the deaths of Patrick Colfer (37), Slade, Jimmy Myler (46), Ballyhack, and Billy O'Connor (51), New Ross, all Co Wexford, delivered jury verdicts of death by drowning.

The Rising Sun, which fished out of Kilmore Quay, went down some time after 3.30pm off the Saltee Islands on November 29th, 2005. Mr Myler and Ian Tierney (29), from Kilmore Quay were rescued. However, Mr Myler later died in hospital.

Two days later, Billy O'Connor, a diver from New Ross, who was involved in an undersea search for Mr Colfer, drowned about 3km southeast of the Saltees.

The inquest heard the vessel started from Duncannon at about 7.30am on November 29th to haul lobster or crab pots. After retrieving nine trains of pots, the boat began to submerge, said Mr Tierney.

A number of pots were thrown overboard before Mr Myler shouted at them, telling them that the vessel was toppling over.

Both men remained in the water until they were picked up by The Napierat about 9.45pm.

Garda Insp Pat McDonald, reading Mr Tierney's deposition on his behalf said: "I heard Jimmy shout that we were going over . . . I was on the starboard side. Jimmy threw him a life jacket and put one on his arm for himself."

Mr Tierney had already been wearing a life jacket. "I saw Skin in the water - it was the last I saw of him." The boat then started sinking from the stern, the inquest was told. "We had to get off . . . we tied ourselves together and kept talking to each other."

The men were taken from the water by The Napier. At Wexford General Hospital Mr Myler was pronounced dead.

The inquest into the death of Mr O'Connor revealed that a health and safety report into the dive resulting in his death could come to no obvious conclusions for the accident. Pathologist Dr Robert Tate yesterday said: "I am left with a blank . . . the only conclusion I can come up with is that his injuries were consistent with drowning."

Diver Harry Hannon, Lismore Park, Waterford, told the inquest of Mr O'Connor's final moments before he disappeared. Mr Hannon, an experienced diving instructor and member of the Waterford Harbour Sub-Aqua Club, received a call from Mr O'Connor, a member at the Kilmore club, requesting his help in a search for Mr Colfer.

On his behalf, yesterday Insp McDonald said: "We discussed the dive and sea conditions. We decided that if there was any distress - we'd abort."

He said the pair always maintained eye contact and used hand signals during the dive. They decided to search in a "circular" pattern. However, as their search of the vessel proved fruitless; they decided to resurface.

Mr Hannon added: "Up to this point it was a non-stressful dive - he was 1.5 metres below me." Mr Hannon signalled to Mr O'Connor. But the next time he looked down, Mr O'Connor had vanished.