Last updated at 21:47, Thursday, 07 April 2011

A memorial to three Maryport men, who lost their lives when fishing boat Aquila capsized off the coast of Scotland, will be dedicated on Easter Saturday.

DEDICATION: Friends and colleagues of the Aquila crew beside the memorial at Maryport Harbour, standing, from left: Steve Walker, Shaun Humphreys and Eric Agnew; kneeling: Gary Hampson, with Jess the dog, and Wayne Humphreys

The memorial was erected from money raised by townsfolk and visitors to the 2009 Maryport Blues Festival in an outpouring of sympathy for the families left behind.

The memorial is near the lifeboat station beside Maryport docks.

This week the families of Tony Hayton and Martin Sanderson spoke, for the first time, of their gratitude to the community for their support and generosity during the time after the capsizing in July 2009.

Mr Hayton’s wife Julie and Mr Sanderson’s wife Kate have both preferred to remember their men in private.

“People who knew Martin and Tony knew they were full of fun, loved life and are a great miss,” the women said.

All three families said they were pleased with the memorial. They said that colleagues of the fishermen and their families who would like to attend the dedication by The Rev Susan McKendrey could do so at about 4pm, around high tide, on Saturday, April 23.

Mark Twentyman, one of the organisers of the collection, said the memorial had cost £1,850 which had been raised through public donations and an evening with Elvis impersonator George G Memphis, otherwise known as Gordon Mattinson.

Mr Twentyman added: “Thanks, too, to Maryport Developments chief executive officer Pauline Gorley, who gave us the land on which to erect the memorial.”

Money was also collected from the town’s trawler race last year and from the inshore rescue crew.

The families, in a statement released yesterday, said: “We would like to express a sincere thank you to all who were involved in making the memorial possible.

“We just wish it had not been necessary.”

Meanwhile, vital evidence has now been handed over to a fatal accident inquiry into the disaster.

Proceedings were halted last month when it emerged the Marine Coastguard Agency had in its possession CD recordings of the rescue operation, but had failed to make them available to the inquiry.

However, Fort William Sheriff Court was told on Friday that the Marine Accident Investigation Branch had now handed over three CDs of messages between Stornoway Coastguard, Clyde Coastguard and RAF Kinloss to fiscal Alison Wylie, who is collating evidence for the inquiry.

The recordings, covering a 24-hour period, will be examined by all parties before the inquiry resumes on Tuesday, April 19.

First published at 19:27, Thursday, 07 April 2011
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk