Life raft from missing boat found
A LIFE raft from the missing fishing boat Nicola Faith has been found after the vessel went missing off the coast of Colwyn Bay on January 27.
The life boat was found by HM Coastguard off the coast of Kirkcudbrightshire in Scotland and has since been positively identified by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) as being from the Nicola Faith.
Carl McGrath, 34, from Conwy, Alan Minard, 20, from Penmaenmawr, and Ross Ballantine, 39, from Llandudno, were on board when the Nicola Faith disappeared.
Their disappearance sparked a major search effort by the RNLI and the Coastguard which spanned over two days.
In the past week, there have been a series of sonar searches, with investigators said to be confident of discovering the missing vessel.
A statement from the MAIB said: “The raft will be transported to the MAIB in Southampton for further investigation and analysis.
“The investigation into the causes and circumstances surrounding the vessel’s loss is ongoing. The search for the vessel which is being co-ordinated by the MAIB is continuing. MAIB has been working with underwater search experts to cover a wide area including all of the vessel’s historic operating area”.
It added: “The next of kin have been informed of this development.”
Kevin Stevens and his Essexbased logistics firm Woodland Group were well prepared for the changes to trading that came in when the Brexit transition period ended.
“We knew there would be significant challenges, especially during the first few weeks of 2021. We gave our clients informed and honest opinions of where we thought the main issues would arise, so they could plan accordingly.
“However, with change comes opportunity, and our forward planning has allowed us to push forward significantly and develop new openings for clients trading with the EU.
“Everyone needs to adjust to these changes and put relevant processes in place.
For importers and exporters looking to trade with the EU, it’s important to create a two-way information flow to educate each other on the changes and set aside time to be prepared.”