Nicola Faith: Sunken fishing boat raised from sea

The wreck of a sunken fishing boat has been raised from the seabed.

The Nicola Faith failed to return to Conwy on 27 January, and the bodies of her three crew were later found on beaches in Wirral and Blackpool.

The wreck was found last month in the Colwyn Bay area, 194yds (177m) from its last known position.

It was raised by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) which will now take it to a secure location for further testing.

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The MAIB said the families of Alan Minard, 20, Ross Ballantine, 39, and skipper Carl McGrath, 34, would have an opportunity to view the vessel if they wished.

The boat was found last month 194yds (177m) from its last known position

In the first stages of the operation, a remotely operated vehicle was used to conduct a final survey of the Nicola Faith in the position it came to rest on the seabed.

Evidence including fishing equipment and outlying debris was mapped and collected from the area around the vessel and was crucial in helping the team understand what led to the vessel's capsize, according to the MAIB.

The vessel will be taken to a specially adapted location where the investigation will be completed

In preparation for the recovery, a number of anchors were laid out and salvage pumps were used to remove a large quantity of seawater from inside the boat.

The boat, which weighed 11 tonnes, was raised using a 141ft (43m) long crane barge and placed on the deck of an adjacent ship.

The 11 tonne boat was lifted after three months on the seabed

Chief inspector of marine accidents, Capt Andrew Moll said: "This operation needed to be meticulously planned and executed to ensure that valuable evidence was conserved. We are pleased to have achieved that and successfully recovered Nicola Faith.

"The purpose of our investigation is to improve safety. The next phase of the investigation will be to establish what events led to the vessel's capsize, the mechanics of how the vessel sunk and why.

"Once the investigation is complete a report which details the findings will be prepared and published. As well as providing the families with an explanation, our report will aim to prevent such a tragic accident recurring."