A LIMERICK man is believed to have gone overboard on a ferry between Scotland and Northern Ireland over the weekend.
Emergency teams have resumed a search of Belfast Lough acting on new information after a fellow passenger on the Stena sailing reported a man going overboard at about 9.30pm on Saturday.
The UK Coastguard was notified and the Stena Line ship’s fast response craft was launched. An extensive search went on into the early hours of Sunday morning.
According to the Irish Times, a relative of the missing passenger contacted Dublin Port on Saturday, concerned about the 39-year-old Limerick man, who they believed at the time to be travelling from Holyhead in Wales to Dublin.
However, it later emerged the man was on the Cairnryan to Belfast sailing.
The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency said on Sunday it was resuming its search of Belfast Lough “following new information, relating to a report of a man overboard from a ferry on route to Belfast harbour.”
“Bangor, Larne and Port Muck coastguard rescue teams along with Donaghadee and Larne RNLI lifeboats and Lowland Search and Rescue teams are continuing the search which resumed just before 8am,” a spokeswoman said.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is also involved in the search operation.
