It’s the update no one wanted to hear. After two days of relentless searching across some of the most unforgiving waters off Ireland’s north-west coast, the mission to find a missing Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) crew member has come to a heartbreaking end.
The sailor from the UK naval support vessel RFA Tidesurge was last seen at around 10.30pm on Friday, sparking a major multi-agency response between Tory Island in County Donegal and Eagle Island in County Mayo.
Despite an extensive air and sea operation involving multiple rescue teams, the Ministry of Defence confirmed the crew member has not been found, and the search has now been officially stood down. The family has requested privacy, and no further details are being released.
Defence Secretary John Healey expressed his condolences, saying:
“After an extensive search, it is with deep sadness that we confirm the missing crew member of RFA Tidesurge has not been found.
My thoughts are with their family during this tragic time, as well as their fellow crew members.”
He also thanked the Irish authorities, the RNLI, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, all of whom worked tirelessly across challenging conditions to try to locate the missing individual.
The search effort began shortly before 9am on Saturday, after the Irish Coast Guard received a distress call from the vessel. What followed was a full-scale rescue operation across both sea and sky.
A Multi-Agency Effort Across Harsh Waters
The search drew in a huge range of assets, including:
- Irish Coast Guard fixed-wing Rescue 120F from Shannon
- Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118 from Sligo
- Irish Air Corps CASA 284
- Three RNLI all-weather lifeboats from Ballyglass, Arranmore Island and Lough Swilly
- A coordinated sea search led by the UK naval support vessel
But after covering vast areas of coastline and open water, no trace of the crew member was found. An investigation into the incident is now under way.
