‘Missing boat had not gone far and was undamaged’
ADEEP water rescue specialist believes there was “no reason” why a missing fishing boat couldn’t have been found earlier.
David Mearns, an ocean recovery expert who has led a private search for the Nicola Faith fishing boat which vanished off Conwy in January, revealed the vessel was found just 177m away from its last known position.
The boat vanished on January 27, with the loss of skipper Carl McGrath, 34, and crewmates Ross Ballantine, 39, and Alan Minard, 20.
The bodies of all three men were later discovered.
Now Mr Mearns has said there was no reason why the boat, discovered by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch [MAIB] 1.9 nautical miles off Rhos Point, could not have been found sooner given its location.
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, he said: “The wreck was located only 177m away from the last known position of the vessel.
“So it was where the signal was lost, it was where everyone should have known where the wreck was from the beginning.
“So, in the final conclusion, yes, there is no reason why it shouldn’t have been found sooner.”
Mr Mearns said there was no obvious damage to the vessel, raising questions about how the boat ended up sinking.
He said: “The hull appears intact, we can see the whole starboard side, and from the sonar images, the wreck appears intact, and all the key features are there.
“At one time people were concerned that it may have capsized, so the radar mast would have been damaged, but those are intact.
“I can see no obvious damage, as it looks OK – which just raises more questions – about why it sank, in not very shallow water, and not so far off the coast.”
Mr Mearns added: “The MAIB actually found the wreck last week, and so I went out and did a high-resolution sonar of the wreck, which provided the best images that we have so far of the wreck.
“These are images both of the hull, and also of things that are floating above it.
“This allowed us to compare things like the dimensions of the ship, and pick out key features which are distinctive to the Nicola Faith – the tall mast and the platform on the stern – that helped identify it as the Nicola Faith.” Marine divers confirmed the identity of the boat on Tuesday.
An MAIB spokesman said: “As well as identifying the vessel, the survey gathered video evidence and information that will help inform the MAIB investigation and assist in understanding the reasons the vessel sank. “After all the evidence has been reviewed, including imagery from the dive team, a decision will be made regarding the next steps to be taken as part of the ongoing investigation.” Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of Marine Accident, said: “I understand how desperate the families of the crew are for answers, and now that the vessel has been found our investigation can focus on establishing why Nicola Faith sank. “A large amount of evidence has already been collected and analysed, and a close look at the results of [Tuesday’s] dive survey should increase our understanding of the accident. Until this has been completed it is not possible to say whether it will be necessary to recover the wreck for further testing.”