Big turnout today in search for missing fisherman
By Tom Shiel
MEMBERS of the local community turned out in large numbers today (Sunday) to comb a rugged stretch of the north Mayo shoreline for 23-year- old Daniel Doherty who has been missing since Friday.
The search for the missing fisherman, who lives at Carrowtigue, Belmullet, is concentrated on the vicinity of Benwee Head in the Broadhaven Bay area.
It is believed that Mr. Doherty got into difficulty late on Friday as he was baiting lobster pots aboard his 30 foot half-decker, Carra Rose.
The empty vessel, with its lights on, was located on its side at a beach close to Benwee Head shortly before 9 pm on Friday.
Throughout Saturday and today (Sunday), a Shannon based coastguard helicopter, along with RNLI lifeboats from Ballyglass and Achiill, participated in today's search.
They were joined by a flotilla of local fishing boats.
On land, hundreds of civilians, many of them friends and neighbours of the missing man, scoured the shoreline. where there are steep cliffs and inlets which are difficult to access.
Mr. Doherty, who is single, is popular and hugely respected locally as “sensible and hard-working”.
His father Brian and mother, Noreen, as well as his brother and sister, were kept informed throughout today of the progress of the search operation.
Divers were concentrating their efforts yesterday afternoon on the spot where Mr. Doherty’s lobster pots were located.
One theory being explored is that the fisherman fell overboard while re-baiting his pots.
Weather conditions in the area were poor on Friday with torrential rain but the sea was calm at the time, according to locals.
The alarm was raised by a member of the missing man’s family when he failed to return to Rinroe Pier on Friday evening before darkness fell as scheduled.
Gerry Coyle, a member of Mayo County Council, described Mr. Doherty as “extremely industrious”.
As weather conditions deteriorated in the Erris areas this evening (Sunday, the search for the missing man was scaled down.
Members of the local community gathered in groups along the shoreline to say prayers throughout the afternoon as the search continued.