THE WIFE OF the skipper missing from a boat that sank off the coast of west Cork two weeks ago has appealed to experienced divers to join the search.

Tit Bonhomme skipper Michael Hayes and Egyptian crew member Saied Ali Eldin have been missing since the boat sank on 15 January.

Adverse weather conditions have hampered efforts to search for the two men, but the search is due to resume today as conditions improve. .

Hayes’ wife Caitlín Ní Aodha has appealed for experienced divers to join the search. Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, she thanked everyone in Union Hall for supporting the families involved and the Coast Guard and gardaí for their efforts in recovering the remains.

“We do feel confident that Michael and Saied are within the harbour,” she said.

She appealed for “competent and experienced divers” to volunteer for the search this weekend, and also asked kayaking clubs to come because “fresher eyes and fresher divers could make a difference”. Volunteers can report directly to the Coast Guard at Union Hall.

“It’s hugely important that we get as many people in the water… as possible on Saturday and Sunday” while the weather holds up, she said.

Ní Aodha said that although similar incidents have happened along the coast before, neither she nor her children thought this would ever happen to their family: “We know it happens because we’ve seen it before, but you just don’t live your lives like that… sometimes things just go wrong.”

Abdou Mohammed is the only one of the six people who were on board at the time to survive the accident. The body of his brother Wael Mohammed was recovered, as were the remains of Kevin Kershaw and Attia Shaban.