Posted: Wed 14th Apr 2021

“No reason” why wreck was not found sooner says expert as Nicola Faith found 177 metres from last known position

North Wales news and information
This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Apr 14th, 2021

A sunken vessel discovered off the coast of North Wales coast should have been found sooner according to a marine expert who has conducted a sonar scan of the wreck of the Nicola Faith.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) announced last week that the wreck had been found near Colwyn Bay and placed a a ‘Notice of Direction to Prohibit Access’, requiring it to be left undisturbed until further notice.

Following further investigations, the MAIB said it has officially been identified as the Nicola Faith, which disappeared without explanation in January.

Sadly three bodies were recovered from the coastline off the Wirral and Blackpool in March and later identified as being those of crew members Ross Ballantine, Alan Minard and skipper Carl McGrath.

As we have previously reported an expert in finding shipwrecks, David Mearns of Blue Water Recoveries, shared sonar images which appear to show the vessel virtually intact.

This morning Mr Mearns spoke with BBC Radio Wales and said, “The high resolution sonar imaging of of the wreck, which provided the best images that we had so far of it and those are images, both of the hull and also things floating above it, and they’re extremely detailed. They allowed us to compare things like the dimensions of the ship, the length, the breadth, and pick out some key features which are distinctive. The tall tower on the stern and platform on the stern as well – that clearly identified it as the Nicola Faith, but it was down to the MAIB, and then North Wales Police divers the following day, that visually confirmed it.”

Mr Mearns said the wreck is in ‘very shallow water’ and at the lowest possible tide that is 9m deep.

Mr Mearns was asked about this observations on what his imaging shows about what may or may not have happened, he said “From the sonar images the wreck is intact and all the key features were there. At one time people were concerned that she had capsized so the radar mast on the wheelhouse and the tower that I mentioned would have been damaged, but though, those are intact, they are in place and not damaged.”

“So when you can see no obvious damage all you can say is that the vessel looks okay so it just raises more questions about why it sank in such shallow water not very far off the coast.”

One piece of data that was additionally revealed was that the wreck was discovered just 177 meters away from its last known position, “The most alarming piece of news we got was that it was only 177 metres from what we call the last known position. So the vessel was fitted with a IVMS which is a tracking system for monitoring fishing boats. This is a new system and the Nicola Faith was equipped with it, and when that position ended that was basically the last known position for the vessel.

“The wreck was located only 177 metres away from that position. It was where the signal was lost, everyone should have known where the wreck was right from the beginning, and that’s quite alarming.”

Mr Mearns said there was ‘no reason’ why the wreck was not found sooner.

Investigations into what caused the Nicola Faith to sink are ongoing.



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