Two elderly fishermen have died after their boat got into difficulties in the waters of the Inishowen peninsula yesterday and sank.
The men were brothers, Frances and Danny McDaid, and aged in their late 60s and early 70s.
Both had been fishing for more than 50 years but had retired. However Frances McDaid was helping his son by lifting lobster pots for him on his 29-foot half-decker 'Strith Marie'.
The men who normally helped him lift the pots were unavailable, so he asked his brother Danny to help as a favour. The men left Bunagee harbour yesterday morning and were due back after lunchtime.
When there was still no sign of them around 5pm, Malin Head Coast Guard was alerted. The Sligo Coast Guard helicopter, along with two Loughswilly lifeboats and vessels from Portrush and Greencastle, began searching the waters where the men had been working.
One of the men was spotted in waters 3.5 miles east of Inishowen Head around 6pm. He was winched onto the helicopter and taken directly to Altnagelvin hospital in Derry.
The other man was located around 8.30pm. He was taken to Greencastle Coast Guard station and then rushed to the same hospital by ambulance.
Both men were unconscious when taken from the water. Efforts were made to revive them en route to the hospital.
Both men were pronounced dead at Altnagelvin hospital.
Charles Kavanagh of Greencastle Coast Guard said that weather conditions yesterday were relatively calm, but that there was a slight swell. He said conditions deteriorated, however, as the afternoon wore on.
He could not say how long the men had been in the water except to say that it was several hours.
The Coast Guard could not see any sign of the Strith Marie except for some debris and its life buoy. Mr Kavanagh said they had no idea why the boat sank. He stressed the experience of the two fishermen.
It is expected that the Marine Casualty Investigation Board will launch an inquiry.
