Search Teams Attempt To Lift Up Wreckage Of Rescue 116 Today

A specialised Irish-owned tug boat has been hired to assist in lifting the wreckage of Irish Coast Guard Rescue 116 which crashed into the sea off the Mayo coast 18 days ago.

Attempts to recover the two missing crewmen, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith will also be ongoing, and it is hoped their remains are in or near the wreckage.

Irish Coast Guard operations manager Gerard O’Flynn said in The Irish Times that "the absolute priority is to find the two casualties."

Atlantic Towage and Marine Limited own the tug boat, and will attempt a direct lift of the wreckage rather than using airbag floatation, which failed last week because of rough ocean conditions.

The five-tonne Rescue helicopter is upside down beneath 40 metres of choppy waters, around 60 meters from Blackrock Island.

Naval service divers will also work with Atlantic Towage and Marine Limited to salvage the wreckage, and hopes are high after the company was successful in rescuing an €18 million yacht, and a tall ship which crashed off Kinsale.

More to follow...

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