Missing Conwy fishermen: Three bodies found off English coast
- Published
Alan Minard, Ross Ballantine and Carl McGrath were all aboard the Nicola Faith when it went missing in January
The bodies of three men have been discovered off the coast of north-west England.
North Wales Police said it was "aware" the individuals had been recovered off Wirral and Blackpool over the weekend.
It follows the search for the Conwy fishing boat Nicola Faith, which failed to return to port in January.
"The families of the missing crew members from the vessel 'Nicola Faith' have been kept informed," said a spokesman for North Wales Police.
A private search for the vessel was due to get underway this week.
The Nicola Faith failed to return to port at Conwy on 27 January.
The Nicola Faith's empty life raft was found on 5 March off the coast of Scotland
A search for Ross Ballantine, 39, Alan Minard, 20, and skipper Carl McGrath, 34, was called off after two days.
Police said their families were being supported by specialist officers.
"We would request that they are given the necessary privacy at this difficult time," the spokesman added.
The force said it had been in contact with Merseyside and Lancashire police and was awaiting the results of post-mortem examinations.
More than £55,000 has been raised on a JustGiving page set up by the families of the missing men to pay for the private search, led by deep water recovery expert David Mearns.
Earlier this month, the Marine Accident and Investigation Branch (MAIB) said the boat's life raft had been found off the coast of Kirkcudbrightshire in Scotland by the Coastguard.
- Published15 March 2021
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