Two arrested after fishing boat with suspected cocaine haul runs aground off Wexford coast

The fishing trawler ran aground on a sandbank off Blackwater, Co Wexford, at around 11.30pm on Sunday, prompting a response from the RNLI and the Coast Guard Rescue 117 helicopter.

It appears that as Rescue 117 approached the scene of the stricken vessel, they were urged to hold back and were informed that the trawler was being tracked by the Irish Navy’s LÉ William Butler Yeats, reportedly carrying members of the Garda National Drugs Squad on board.

The Coast Guard chopper was informed that an air corps helicopter was in bound, but they advised that, due to the windy conditions, it would have been extremely difficult to winch the two men aboard in any case.

The operation lasted in excess of six hours, with the Rosslare RNLI lifeboat making several attempts to attach a tow-line to the trawler in a huge swell and winds. While the RNLI crew sought to pull the trawler free, it seems they were similarly warned by the navy not to board the trawler or take anyone off.

The naval offshore patrol vessel arrived on the scene shortly after 3 a.m. Half an hour later, the Rescue 117 helicopter was forced to return to base in Waterford to refuel and by the time it returned, winds had died down and the decision was taken for the Coast Guard chopper to winch the two men, both reportedly foreign nationals, from the trawler onto the deck of the LÉ William Butler Yeats and into the arms of waiting naval and garda officers.

At this point, both the Coast Guard helicopter and the Rosslare lifeboat returned to base.

“It was quite windy,” a RNLI spokesperson said. “The trawler had run aground on the sandbank there and we just couldn’t get near them. The weather conditions weren’t great and we couldn’t get the tow-lines over to them. I’m sure they were exhausted from trying to pull a big tow-line on board.

“They were eventually winched off and onto the naval vessel. I’m not aware of anything that happened after that. We’d be unaware of any further circumstances. It’s our duty to go out and save lives. What people are doing or where they’re going to or from is none of our concern.”

Further into Monday morning and afternoon, there was a visible military presence off the Wexford coast. Air Corps helicopters and planes were spotted sweeping the coastline south from Ballyconnigar and a helicopter even landed on a football pitch in Castlebridge outside Wexford town to pick up personnel before taking off again.

The trawler and the naval vessel remained off the Wexford coast overnight, an emergency services source confirming that it would be “unprecedented” for a casualty to be lifted onto a military vessel unless there were extenuating circumstances.

The Irish Naval Service declined to comment on the operations.

On Monday afternoon, a local garda source was able to confirm that two males had been arrested, however, there was no information regarding what they stand accused of. The source was merely in a position to state that it was a “major national investigation”.

The Garda Press Office was contacted for comment.

The Waterford coastline was also reported to have seen increased military activity this afternoon, with an Air Corps Casa C-295 maritime patrol aircraft sweeping the Wexford and Waterford coastline, following the route reportedly taken by the trawler which is believed to have departed from Castletownbere.

Rumours had been circulating that a discovery had been made at sea before the two men were arrested.