Wreath-laying remembers double fishing boat tragedy

A wreath has been laid at sea in remembrance of a double fishing vessel tragedy off the East Yorkshire coast 40 years ago.

Seven men died after the Carole Sandra and North Wind III were caught in high seas near Flamborough on 7 May 1984.

To mark four decades since the tragedy, the Flamborough Lifeboat was launched on Sunday to lay the wreath in the area where the tragedy happened.

A memorial service followed by a wreath-laying at Cameron Gardens in Flamborough is also due to be held on Tuesday 7 May, starting at 10:00 BST.

When the Carole Sandra had set out from Bridlington Harbour, the weather had been good, but it deteriorated quickly.

No distress call was ever made, but the alarm was later raised when a bow was seen sticking out of the water.

A crew from Flamborough RNLI station was sent to the scene and a call went out to other vessels in the area to assist with the search.

That was answered by the crew of North Wind III, with five men on board who were members of a sea angling club on a leisure fishing trip, all of whom lost their lives.

Peter Brigham, Guy Brigham, Robert George Gray and Barrie Shilton, on the Carole Sandra, and David Bunting, Stephen Burton and Brian Priestley, on the North Wind III, all drowned in the disaster.

A crew member from Flamborough RNLI who laid the wreath on Sunday remembering the tragedy said sea conditions were flat and calm - completely different to the situation four decades ago.

The crew member said: “We’re a small village community and the events of that day will remain close to our hearts for a long time.”

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