Nicola Faith fishing boat: Families to set up charity to improve sea safety

The families of three fishermen whose boat sank off the Conwy coast plan to ensure it "never happens again".

Alan Minard, 20, Ross Ballantine, 39 and skipper Carl McGrath, 34, died after their boat, the Nicola Faith, sank off Colwyn Bay in January.

Their relatives plan to work with organisations and launch a charity to improve safety at sea in their memory.

"We will campaign and explore for change," the men's families said.

In an episode of a BBC programme about the RNLI this week, lifeboat crews speak of their frustration and sadness that they were unable to find the boat or its crew when it first sank.

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It was six weeks before the fishermen's bodies were discovered washed up on the shore of north-west England - the wreck of the boat was not located for many more weeks.

An investigation is now under way by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) to work out why the boat sank.

The bodies of Alan Minard, Ross Ballantine and Carl McGrath were discovered in April

The families say they want to set up a new charitable organisation to make sure any action points recommended in the official investigation can happen in the long term.

This could include:

• Campaigns about water safety

• Liaising with RNLI and MAIB over additional water safety training for local fisherman

• Exploring a "check-in and out" system for commercial fishing vessels

• Working with stakeholders to push for lifeguards and safety equipment across key beaches in Conwy

• Water safety courses for children and potential fun days

"We will campaign and explore for change for anything in the MAIB report or things we feel may have made a difference to getting the men home and preventing this from ever happening again in honour of Carl, Ross and Alan."

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The Nicola Faith pictured at the quayside in Conwy

'Big task'

Nathania Minard, mother of Alan Minard, the youngest crew member, said: "This is in the early stages, we've set ourselves a big task and we're trying to take baby steps towards it.

"We want to try to look at the positives we can get out of this, not just for our own healing, but for the communities healing as well and to try to prevent something like this from happening again."

Ms Minard said the families of the three men have "supported each other" and intend to carry on.

"Finding the boys, finding the boat, bringing the boat to the surface - it took a long time.

"For me personally, grieving has only just started, which is why it's important to try and find a positive focus for ourselves.

"The RNLI helped us when we were helpless, and we now want to take some action and try and support those who supported us and develop something that's long lasting for the boys."

'A heavy pit in your stomach'

In this week's episode of Saving Lives At Sea, lifeboat crews from Llandudno and Rhyl look back on the initial search for the Nicola Faith and how they felt when no trace of the boat or its crew could be found.

Andrew Wilde, from Rhyl lifeboat, said the decision from the coastguard to stand down was "a real hard decision to take".

"We were thinking about the families - all those families were waiting, didn't know what had happened... and neither did we," he said.

"It was a heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach that there's nothing more that you can do."

Lifeboat crews from Rhyl searched for the Nicola Faith until nightfall on two separate days, but no trace was found

His RNLI colleague, Graham Heritage, from Llandudno lifeboat, told the programme of the poignant moment when they returned home on the final day of searching.

"I remember looking into the waves and thinking, 'give us something, there's got to be something here'. But there was nothing, nothing at all.

"We wanted a bit of debris: A hat? A jacket? Anything? But there was nothing to be found.

"We go out there. We save people, and that's what we do. But on this occasion, we hadn't done it.

"Everyone had gone out there and given their all."

• Saving Lives At Sea is on the BBC iPlayer from 20:00 BST on Tuesday, 21 September. It is broadcast at the same time on BBC Two, except in Wales, where it will be shown at 19:00 on Wednesday, 22 September.

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