Fisherman search called off
10:48am Wednesday 5th March 2008
A SEARCH for a missing fisherman who fell overboard into the North Sea has been called off.
The 27-year-old, from the Philippines, lost his balance in high winds off the coast near Blyth, Northumberland, at about 5pm yesterday.
The skipper of the vessel, the Sanlormarho based at Eyemouth, Scotland, raised the alarm and a major search operation was launched, involving the Coastguard, Northumbria Police, a helicopter and other vessels.
Searchers fired flares into the night sky, but no trace of the man was found.
A Northumbria Police spokesman said the search was called off last night, when it was feared no one could survive the March sea temperatures for so long.
He said: "The incident has been reported to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and inquiries are ongoing."