Nancy Glen criminal investigation dropped

A criminal investigation, launched after the sinking of a Tarbert fishing boat last year, has been dropped, writes Colin Cameron.

The Nancy Glen capsized and later sank in Loch Fyne on the evening of January 18, 2018, with the loss of 46-year-old skipper Duncan MacDougall and crewman Przemek Krawczyk, aged 38.

A third crew member survived after being pulled from the water by a passing workboat.

With Scottish Government assistance, the 40-foot vessel was raised from a depth of more than 140 metres in April 2018, when the bodies of the missing men were recovered.

Within days of the men being laid to rest it was announced, in May 2018, that the procurator fiscal had instructed Police Scotland to investigate the circumstances around the deaths of Duncan MacDougall and Przemek Krawczyk.

A Crown Office spokesman said: ‘On January 18, 2018, the trawler Nancy Glen sank in Loch Fyne resulting in the deaths of Duncan MacDougall and Przemek Krawczyk.

‘Having carefully considered all the circumstances of this tragic incident, Crown Counsel has concluded, based on the available evidence, that there will be no criminal proceedings brought as a result of the deaths. As both men died in the course of their employment, a mandatory Fatal Accident Inquiry will take place in due course.

‘The families have been informed of this decision.’

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) carried out a separate investigation into the sinking of the Nancy Glen. A preliminary report released in January 2019 noted that the investigation covered such aspects as why the Nancy Glen capsized, why only one crewman survived, and the actions necessary to prevent recurrence.

The full MAIB report is expected to be published shortly.