Ghanaian fisherman killed in Ireland

A fisherman who was killed in a freak accident off the Cork coast earlier this week will be repatriated to Ghana.

Moses Odonkor (53) suffered fatal injuries on a trawler on Monday off the Porcupine Bank near the Blasket Islands.

Mr Odonkor's crewmates desperately tried to assist him, but he was pronounced dead before emergency services could be dispatched to the scene. Following the incident, the trawler immediately returned to Castletownbere.

Originally from Ghana, he had been living in Ireland for over 20 years, most recently in Skibbereen.

He is survived by his wife Philomena and sons Isaac and Emmanuel. In 2023, his son Joshua (2) died after choking on a grape he was eating.

A prayer for Mr Odonkor service took place in Hurley & O’Sullivan’s Funeral Home, Skibbereen this afternoon shortly before 3pm.

A notice on RIP.ie states that he will be repatriated to Ghana "at a later date”.

It is believed that Mr Odonkor suffered critical injuries as heavy nets were being deployed into the fishing grounds.

He was immediately rendered unresponsive after the accident and his crewmates were unable to revive him.

The tragedy occurred within Irish territorial waters.

A garda (the state police force of the Republic of Ireland) spokesperson said the incident was being treated as a tragic workplace accident.

Gardaí were alerted to the incident by the Coast Guard who had received direct communication from the vessel.

“The Marine Casualty Investigation Unit, Marine Survey Office, Health and Safety Authority and the local coroner have all been notified,” a Garda spokesperson confirmed.

Lost At Sea charity chairman, Niall Duffy, said everyone in the fishing community was deeply shocked by the tragedy.

“On behalf of the fishing community, I want to extend our sympathies to the family and his fellow crew mates on the tragic loss of a respected and well-liked crew man,” he said.

The charity supports all those impacted by tragedies at sea.