This article is from page 3 of the 2006-10-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
THE search for the body of a 35year-old Polish fisherman who was washed out to sea by a freak wave will resume today off the Clare coast.
The man was fishing with a work colleague on Sunday at Tullig, north of Cross village, when a five-foot swell swept them into the sea.
His colleague was subsequently washed back on to the rocks and raised the alarm.
Both men worked in Limerick but did not know each other very well.
Kilrush Superintendent Joe McKeon said that gardaí used their contacts in the Polish community to help identify the man now presumed drowned.
It is believe he was married with four children, and was due to return to his Poland for a visit next week.
Gardaí were yesterday using his passport for identification purposes, but he cannot be named until the Polish embassy opens today.
A day-long search yesterday in dangerous conditions failed to recover the body. The search began early in the morning, but had to be abandoned as darkness fell at 4.55pm.
A pair of waders was found close to the scene of the accident last evening, but they have not yet been identified as belonging to the deceased.
The Kilkee Marine Rescue Service, Kilkee and Doolin Coastguard and the Shannon Coastguard Helicopter were assisted in the search by members of the Kilkee Diving Club from all over Ireland who had been spending the weekend in the Clare resort.
Members of the accident victim’s family are also believed to be planning to come to Clare to assist in the search.
Local people said that while the area would be known for mackerel, Tullig was not regarded as a fishing area.
Member of the Kilkee Marine Rescue Service Manuel di Lucia said the two Polish men would not be aware of the dangers of fishing in the area.
He said that a swell like that, which washed them out to sea, would look smaller from the top of the cliff.
Last July, a 35-year-old father of two from Latvia was taking scenic photographs close to the lighthouse at Loop Head when he lost his footing and fell 80 feet to his death off the cliff’s edge landing on the ledge below.
It is also one year this weekend since three young men lost their lives off the cliffs in Doolin.