Body Recovered Following Fishing Boat Tragedy in Carlingford Lough

Wednesday 3 May 2026

CARLINGFORD LOUGH, Co. Louth / Co. Down - The body of a man has been recovered following the sinking of a fishing vessel in Carlingford Lough earlier this week.

Carlingford Lough, on the border between County Louth and County Down, where rescue services responded to a fishing vessel sinking on Tuesday. Photo Credit: Gareth James / Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0)

A major search and rescue operation was launched on Tuesday after a fishing boat carrying two men got into difficulty and sank in the lough. One of the men was rescued from the water shortly after the incident and was brought ashore for medical treatment.

The search for the second crew member continued throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, involving a coordinated effort by rescue agencies from both sides of the border. Coastguard teams, lifeboat crews, helicopters and specialist divers were deployed in the operation.

At approximately 8.15pm on Wednesday evening, the body of the missing man was recovered from the water by divers from Dundalk Sub Aqua Search and Rescue, assisted by divers from Kilkeel.

The recovery brought to an end a large-scale operation that had been underway for more than 24 hours in the waters of Carlingford Lough.

Emergency services have not yet released further details regarding the deceased. The man's body was removed from the scene and the relevant authorities have been informed.

An investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the vessel.

The incident has deeply affected local maritime and fishing communities around Carlingford Lough, where many residents followed developments as the search unfolded over two days.