AN INQUEST into the deaths of three fisherman who went missing off the coast of Conwy will take place today (Friday, July 14).
Carl McGrath, 34, Ross Ballantine, 39, and Alan Minard, 20, were on board the Nicola Faith when it left Conwy on January 27 2021.
Their bodies were sadly found off Wirral and Blackpool in March 2021. The boat was located the following the month.
The vessel was recovered from the sea by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB). It had capsized and sank 1.9 miles North of Rhos-on-Sea.
An investigation found that the vessel had been significantly modified since 2017, and that these modifications had eroded its margin of stability.
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It was concluded that the vessel probably capsized and sank due to it being loaded with catch and fishing gear to the point of "instability".
Senior Coroner for North Wales East and Central, John Gittins, opened the inquests into the deaths of the fishermen on April 6 2021 in Ruthin. The inquests were adjourned.
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