Louisa report

An investigation report into the sinking of the MFV Louisa is due to be published within weeks.

Three men died - including one still missing - when the Lewis-owned shellfish vessel flooded and sank while lying at anchor off the east coast of the small, uninhabited island of Mingulay in April last year.

The boat's liferaft did not inflate and the crew were left in the cold sea, hanging onto the side of the barely, floating device.

Martin Johnstone, 29, from Caithness, and father-of-two, Chris Morrison, 27, from South Harris, died.

The skipper, Paul Alliston, of Lewis, is still missing.

Lachlan Armstrong, 27, from Stornoway, survived after managing to swim ashore to rocks.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) which is probing the tragedy pledged to examine all details in an effort to establish the cause of the tragedy.

It salvaged the 16 metre steel-hulled crabber off the seabed.

MAIB officials were recently in the Western Isles as part of a formal consultation ahead of the report’s publication.

A MAIB spokesman said: “"The aim of our investigation is to establish why the fishing vessel Louisa sank and why lives were lost."

He added: “The date of publication will depend on the detail of the comments we receive.

“Given the formal consultation we are not planning on publishing an interim report.”

Photo: MAIB

Report into Louisa fishing boat sinking due soon

28 March 2017