Wreck of fishing boat Louisa to be salvaged

Accident investigators are to raise the wreck of a fishing vessel which sank off the Outer Hebrides two weeks ago.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said they would be salvaging the Louisa to help find out what caused it to sink off Mingulay.

The bodies of two crew members have been found. The skipper is still missing and presumed dead.

One man survived the sinking of the 15m (49ft) crabber on 9 April as it lay at anchor in calm seas.

Investigators want to know why water flooded into the boat and whether automatic alarms that should sound when a leak is detected were activated.

They also want to discover why the Louisa's liferaft failed to release and then did not inflate.

A spokesman for the MAIB said: "We have made a decision to raise the wreck and will do so when there is a suitable weather window."

The boat lies at the comparatively shallow depth of 10m (33ft), with its mast visible at low water.

The MAIB spokesman added: "The aim of our investigation is to establish why the fishing vessel Louisa sank and why lives were lost. A full and detailed report will be published at the end of our investigation.

"If we identify any safety issues during the investigation that require immediate action, the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents will issue a safety bulletin or make recommendations as appropriate."

The bodies of Chris Morrison, 27, from Harris, and Martin Johnstone, 29, from Halkirk, Caithness, were found following the sinking.

Skipper Paul Alliston, 42, from Lewis, remains missing despite a massive search. Only Lachlann Armstrong, 27, from Stornoway, survived after swimming ashore.