A large-scale combined Ireland-UK air and sea search off the northwest coast for a missing crew member from a British naval ship has ended, the UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
A UK Naval support vessel sent a distress alert near the island of Toraigh, Co Donegal, yesterday morning for the missing crew member last seen on board around 10.30pm on Friday.
Over the past two days, the Coast Guard, the Navy, RNLI lifeboats, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force as well as other vessels searched the north-western seaboard.
A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson told RTÉ News "after an extensive search for a missing crew member of a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship's company, the individual has not been found, and the search has now ended".
"The individual’s family have been informed, and an investigation is now under way into the incident. No other individuals have been harmed or reported missing," they said.
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is staffed by highly trained civilian officers who are part of the Naval Service and they provide support to the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines.
The British Ministry of Defence said the family of the individual, who served on the RFA TIDESURGE, has requested privacy and they added that further details will be issued after a period of grace.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey said it was with deep sadness that they confirm the missing crew member of RFA TIDESURGE was not found after an extensive search.
"My thoughts are with their family during this tragic time, as well as their fellow crew members," the Defence Secretary said.
A large-scale search and rescue operation, co-ordinated by the Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Sub Centre at Malin was launched immediately after the service-person was declared missing yesterday morning.
The UK naval vessel was near the island of Toraigh when the Coast Guard's Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Malin Head received a distress alert before 9am yesterday, for the missing crew member who was last seen on board around 10.30pm on Friday.
This morning, the LÉ George Bernard Shaw searched north-west of Toraigh while the HMS Somerset and a royal naval auxiliary ship searched north-west of Mayo.
The coordinated search that continued throughout last night was conducted between Oileán Toraigh and Oileán sa Tuaidh, Co Mayo.
Yesterday, the search from the air was conducted by the Irish Coast Guard’s fixed-wing plane, Rescue 120F, based in Shannon Airport; Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 118, based in Sligo; and the Irish Air Corps plane CASA 284.
Three RNLI all-weather lifeboats based at An Baile Glas, Árainn Mhór and Lough Swilly assisted yesterday alongside other vessels.
Árainn Mhór and Lough Swilly RNLI lifeboats searched west and north west of Donegal while An Baile Glas RNLI searched north west of the Erris Peninsula.
The UK Defence Secretary said he was "hugely grateful to the Irish authorities, the RNLI, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy who have responded rapidly to this incident and have worked tirelessly on the search".
