The Waterford-based Coast Guard helicopter was involved in the recovery of a woman’s body from the sea off the Co Wexford coast on Monday night.
The alarm was raised at around 10pm, after a person was reported to have fallen overboard from a Stena Line ferry travelling from Rosslare to Fishguard.
The Coast Guard helicopter and both the Rosslare and Kilmore Quay lifeboats took part in the search operation, while the Stena Line vessel remained at the scene, about three miles from the Irish coast. The body of the woman, understood to be in her forties, was recovered by the Kilmore Quay Lifeboat at around 12.30am and was taken to Rosslare harbour and then by road to Wexford General Hospital.
A garda investigation has been launched into the tragic incident and a Stena Line spokesman said the company would be assisting the authorities in this.
We were travelling back on the Irish Ferries vessel one hour into our journey when the captain advised that he had received a mayday call from the Stena Line and turned back to assist. Our ferry helped in the search also and launched one of it’s lifeboats and remained at the scene until the body was recovered.