Tag Archives: deadly mistakes

Nicola Faith: Fishermen were probably ‘trapped on deck’ when boat capsized, inquest hears

Three fishermen who drowned probably died because they were trapped on deck when their boat capsized, an inquest has heard. Ross Ballantine, 39, Alan Minard, 20, and skipper Carl McGrath, 34, all died after the Nicola Faith fishing boat went down off the Conwy coast in January 2021. All three men’s bodies were recovered from the coastline off the Wirral and Blackpool in March 2021. The boat itself was discovered a month later on 13 April 2021, and was eventually raised in May 2021 using a 43m long crane barrage. A report following their deaths revealed the boat was not fit to sail, and there were “various faults” with the ship, including a lack of proper safety equipment. >click to read< 11:14

F/V Nicola Faith: The deadly mistakes that led to the boat capsizing and killing three men

A report into the death of three men who died in the Nicola Faith sinking tragedy has been published. The deaths sent shockwaves through the fishing industry after the boat capsized and sank. Carl McGrath, 34, Ross Ballantine, 39, and Alan Minard, 20, lost their lives on board the vessel after it left Conwy Harbour on January 27 last year. It later sunk 1.9 miles north of Rhos-on-Sea, near Colwyn Bay. The 58-page report, written by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) highlights a series of operational failings as Mr McGrath sought extra productivity in his bid to buy the boat outright. Here, below, we set out a timeline of events that led to the tragedy. It covers in detail the day of the boat’s disappearance and the subsequent search operation. >click to read< 12:40