Overdue THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND motor fishing vessel Ard Carna put out from Greencastle, Lough Foyle, on Thursday April 28 to fish white fish. She had a crew of five and was expected back on the Friday or Saturday. At 2200 on Saturday April 30, when she had not returned and nothing had been heard of her, a PAN broadcast was made by Malin Head Radio for Ard Carna and at 0130 on Sunday May 1 Shannon MRCCrequested Clyde Coastguard to take over as co-ordinating authority as the last known position of the missing boat, at 0740 on Friday April 29, had been 56°N, 7°15'w, some 40 nautical miles north by east of Malin Head.

Portpatrick and Malin Head Coast Radio Stations were asked to take broadcast action on all frequencies and coastal checks were made by local coastguards.

An extensive search started at first light. By 0730 on Sunday May 1 an RAF Nimrod aircraft was searching in the area of the fishing vessel's last known position. Portrush's 52ft Arun lifeboat Richard Evans (Civil Service No 39) had slipped her moorings at 0530 and, under the command of Coxswain Robert McMullan, set out to search towards Ard Carna's last known position. More than 20 fishing vessels, Irish and British, were also searching.

A helicopter was making a coastal search from Malin Head to Lough Foyle.

It was a calm day with light to gentle breezes, force 2 to 3, from the north east and a slight sea.

When Portrush lifeboat arrived in the search area she made a series of box searches working eastwards and then was asked to steam eastwards for 45 minutes before making a further series of box searches. Nothing was found, and on completion of this second group of box searches she had to return to Portrush Harbour to refuel.

At 1630 Arranmore's 52ft Barnett lifeboat Claude Cecil Staniforth slipped her moorings, under the command of Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic Bernard Byrne, to search north and east towards Troy Island while Portrush's Arun lifeboat left harbour to search north and west along the Inishowen coast. The two lifeboats, which were in direct radio contact with the Irish naval vessel Aoife, also searching in the area, met in Sheep Haven Bay and it was agreed that they should both search eastwards,Arranmore lifeboat searching inshore while Portrush lifeboat searched further offshore.

At 2204 all boats and aircraft were stood down until first light, Portrush lifeboat arriving back at station at 2331 and Arranmore at 0030.

At first light next morning, Monday May 2, the search was resumed over a wider area, extending further north because the sighting of a possible liferaft had been reported and fish boxes of the type normally carried by Ard Carna had been found. A Nimrod aircraft was again searching out at sea and two Irish helicopters started a coastal search from Donegal Bay to Arran Island.

Islay's 50ft Thames lifeboat Helmut Schroder of Dunlossit slipped her moor-ings at 0405, under the command of Coxswain Donald Boardman, and Mallaig's 52ft Arun lifeboat The Davina •and Charles Matthews Hunter slipped her moorings at 0550, under the command of Coxswain David McMinn.

While Mallaig lifeboat searched the south east coasts of the islands Coll and Tiree, Islay lifeboat headed for the original search area to execute an expanding square search. At 1120 Islay lifeboat was instructed that she should leave this area at 1200 to execute a similar search further east in the area of Dubh Artach.

At 1145, however, one of the Irish helicopters, while returning to base to refuel, intercepted weak transmissions on VHP channel 16 from Ard Carna, saying that she was drifting with no fuel and no idea of her position; her crew were all well. The helicopter told Ard Carna to conserve her batteries until 1205 and then to transmit for 30 seconds every two minutes so that the Nimrod aircraft could begin an electronic search. At 1312 Ard Carna was thought to be 25 miles from Aran and Arranmore lifeboat set out from station at 1430. However, the fishing vessel was much further off shore and Arranmore lifeboat was recalled, arriving back at 1530. Mallaig lifeboat was back on station at 1525 and Islay lifeboat at 1700.

The position of Ard Carna was established at 1332 at 116 miles west of Bloody Foreland, on the Donegal coast; the Irish naval vessel Aoife and the Irish fishing vessels Brendelin and Father Makee all headed for her. An Irish Air Corp helicopter also set out to find out the state of Ard Carna's crew.

Because of the casualty's position,Shannon MRCC took over the coordination of the operation. At 2340 Ard Carna was under tow of Brendelin and Father Makee. The helicopter had dropped food and fuel and Aoife was standing by. At 1045 on Tuesday May 3, Ard Carna was brought in to Killybegs, Co Donegal..