Salvage op to take place for 'mural boat'

A SALVAGE operation will take place this week in a bid to raise a famous fishing boat which sank in Plymouth’s Sutton Harbour.

- 

Onlookers at the Barbican were stunned when the St Annes vessel started sinking before their eyes on Friday evening.

The boat, decorated with a mural by Plymouth artist Kevin Preston, is now underwater in Guy’s Quay. But its owner, Plymouth hotelier Neal Stoneman, is hoping the boat can be salvaged and is relieved no one was killed or injured, and there was no pollution, when the tub went under.

He said it appeared to have taken several hours and wondered why no one contacted him to say it was in trouble so he could have mounted a rescue operation.

He said: "I'm gutted. But there is not a lot of pollution, no one is dead, and it can be repaired. It could have been a lot worse."

Mr Stoneman told The Herald he only found out the boat had sunk when he was called by a friend at about 8.45pm on Friday, about the same time Barbican revellers saw it going down.