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Body of man found after fishing boat sinks

Ross McKeeBBC News NI
News imagePA Media Three vessels on a body of water with a jetty behind them. There are two smaller boats in the foreground, with one RNLI orange craft heading out from shore, creating a spray. There are several people on board wearing white helmets and lifejackets. PA Media
The boat sank between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in Carlingford Lough

The body of a man has been found after a fishing boat with two people on board sank in Carlingford Lough.

A search operation was launched after the boat got into difficulty near Greencastle point in County Down on Tuesday.

Another man was picked up by a local boat and transferred into the care of paramedics at Greenore harbour in County Louth in the Republic of Ireland.

The Irish Coast Guard received a call from a member of the public at 12:30 BST on Tuesday.

News imagePA Media An Irish Coast Guard boat on a body of water, with some green fields in the background. There are three people on the orange inflatable boat, wearing red life jackets and yellow helmets. There are three people standing on the shore, waiting for the boat to come in. Two are in orange hi-vis jackets. One is wearing a red life vest.PA Media
The operation was being run from Belfast but involved emergency services from the Republic of Ireland

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: "As a result of these searches, sadly, the body of a man was located."

Police added the death "is not being treated as suspicious at this time, however, a post-mortem will take place in due course".

Michael Muckian, chair of the Cooley Peninsula Community Alert group, said there was a "sense of loss that people going out to have some leisurely fishing on a Tuesday in June could find themselves in such a situation".

He added that the incident was "a reminder to anyone... on or near water to take precautions".

"Unfortunately, tragedy has struck us yet again."

The Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Belfast was co-ordinating the response.

The Irish Coast Guard's helicopter Rescue 116, based in Dublin, and the Greenore Coast Guard unit were dispatched.

An RNLI lifeboat from Kilkeel in County Down was also sent, along with Coastguard rescue teams from Newcastle and Kilkeel. A Royal Navy helicopter also assisted.