The Beara Community were shocked and saddened last Wednesday afternoon to hear of the tragic accident at sea leading to the death of well know fisherman Sean Cotter, The Square, Castletownbere.  An Irish Lights Helicopter returning to base at Castletownbere spotted an upturned vessel and debris 2 miles from the shore off Blackball Head to the West of Castletownbere.  They immediately alerted Valentia Coastguard Station who in turn alerted the Castletownbere Lifeboat, the local unit of the Irish Coastguard and the Resue Helicopter.  Within 20 minutes of getting the call, the Castletownbere Lifeboat, under coxswain Tony O'Sullivan, was at the scene where they recovered the body a short distance from where the debris was first spotted.  One of the crewmembers of the Lifeboat who is also a nurse believed that the deceased died shortly before the recovery of the body.  Mr. Cotter's body was taken by ambulance to Castletownbere District Hospital  before being transferred to Cork where a post mortem was carried out.

61 year old Sean Cotter, who sold his fishing trawler 'St. Gervase' some years ago was now skippering a 40' steel hulled boat 'The Kylemore'.  He was alone at the time of the accident and it is unclear as to how it happened.  He was navigating from Kenmare Bay to Castletownbere at the time of the accident.  He was a very competent fisherman and was  held in high esteem by the fishing community.  He is survived by his brother Kieran, his sister Margaret Mary and his many relatives and friends to whom we express our deepest sympathy.