Seven Scottish fishermen who lost their lives in the sinking of the Solway Harvester off the coast of the Isle of Man will be remembered this weekend.
Chief Minister Alf Cannan will lay a floral tribute at the Solway Harvester Memorial on Douglas Head on Sunday at 2:30 pm to mark 25 years since the sinking of the Scottish scallop dredger.
The crew, which included three members of the same family, lost their lives in the tragedy on January 11 2000 when their boat sank while heading for shelter in Ramsey Bay during heavy storms.
They were Craig Mills, Robin Mills, David Mills, David Lyons, Wesley Jolly, John Murphy, and Martin Milligan.
RNLI lifeboat crews from Douglas, Ramsey and Port St Mary led the initial search operation and rescue attempt joined by the Steam Packet’s Ben-my-Chree along with other vessels in the Irish Sea at the time, and aircraft scrambled for the search operation.
Poignant
The Chief Minister said: “On this poignant anniversary, we remember and pay tribute to the men who lost their lives. Our thoughts are with their families and friends and with the close-knit fishing communities of Galloway – particularly Whithorn, Garlieston, and the Isle of Whithorn – where the crew were from.
“As a seafaring community with a proud fishing heritage, the tragedy and loss are still keenly felt in the Isle of Man. We have close links with the people of Scotland and there is an enduring bond between the island and the crew’s hometowns.”
Following the tragedy the Max government mounted a £1 million operation to raise the Solway Harvester from the Manx seabed and recover the bodies of the crew, enabling them to be sent home for burial.
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