The two fishermen Francis (71) and Daniel McDaid (69) were in trouble when their fishing vessel caught in the whirlpool of Donegal River. After the vessel was reported missing on Monday a major search and rescue operation has begun close to Inishowen Head. The two fishermen were from Glengad, an area on the Inishowen peninsula around 3km from Malin Head, the country’s most northerly point.
The search team found the two fishermen around three miles east of the Head after 7 pm and they were taken to hospital for medication. A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokeswoman confirmed that they died in hospital in Derry overnight. A spokesman for the Irish Coast Guard informed that the alert was raised at around 5.15pm. After that a Coast Guard helicopter from Sligo was sent to the scene, along with two lifeboats from Lough Swilly and Coast Guard vessels from Greencastle and Portrush, in Northern Ireland.
According to the rescue team the fishing vessels of these two fishermen had sunk. Local Fine Gael councillor and family friend Bernard McGuinness described the pair as experienced fishermen. He opined that they were married with children and grandchildren. Sinn Fein councillor Padraig MacLochlainn said that this incident is not new in the area. According to him the incident puts into sharp focus the risks which members of the fishing community have to take to earn a living.
