A private search operation to find three fishermen who went missing off the north coast of Wales more than six weeks ago is set to begin this week.
Ross Ballantine, 39, Alan Minard, 20 and skipper Carl McGrath failed to return to Conwy on the Nicola Faith fishing boat on 27 January.
Their families have since raised £55,450 to fund a specialist boat, team and equipment to restart the search, which was called off by the coastguard after two days, reports NorthWalesLive.
Ocean recovery expert David Mearns – who found the wreckage of the plane carrying Emiliano Sala in 2019 – will be aiding the search.
The only significant discovery so far has been a life raft belonging to the Nicola Faith, which was discovered off the coast of Scotland on 5 March.
The mother of Alan Minard, Nathania, said in a joint statement: "David Mearns and the private search will begin this week if the weather turns more favourable.
"David Mearns is working alongside the MAIB [Marine Accident Investigation Branch] currently to develop the strongest search for the Nicola Faith.
"We are so grateful for all the support and generosity of the community. There has been so much activity around the fundraiser which in its self brings comfort and strength to the families.
"Thank you to everyone who has supported, donated, wished us hope and has helped us spread the word.
"Each and every one of you is in our hearts and keeps us going this search would not have been possible without you and we are eternally grateful."
Mr Mearns told the BBC: "I'm still confident that the boat can be found, though the search is largely dependent on the weather.
"With the type of sonar we use, the quality of the results is related to how calm the weather is. The tides are strong in the next few days in combination with the wind."
