Speedboat sinks and is declared shipwreck

IT WAS ONE OF TWO CRAFT TO MEET STICKY END

- Andrew Forgrave

A LIFEBOAT crew was scrambled when a 17ft speedboat was spotted sinking close to Bangor's Garth Pier in the Menai Strait.

It was one of two speedboats that got into difficulty in calm conditions off the Gwynedd coast over the weekend.

Only the bow was visible above the water when the RNLI Beaumaris inshore lifeboat arrived at Garth Pier on Sunday afternoon. Alerted at 1.15pm, its volunteer crew were informed the four people aboard had been rescued by passing craft and taken ashore.

Two crew members went ashore to assess the condition of the survivors. When Bangor Coastguard Team arrived as well, its members took over the monitoring of the casualties.

As the sinking speedboat was creating a navigational hazard, the Beaumaris lifeboat tried to establish a long tow so it could be removed from the area. But as it did so, the boat "suddenly disappeared below the waves".