Trawler wreck raised

The raised wreck of the trawler Sapphire arrived in Peterhead harbour last night, bringing the agony of the families of the four men lost when she sank a step closer to being ended.

The trawler and the huge Tak Lift 7 barge which lifted it from the bed of the North Sea yesterday afternoon reached the dockside just after 8pm, after waiting for three-and-a-half hours for better tide and weather conditions.

The trawler will be drained of water and debris before a police underwater search team goes on board to look for the bodies of the four fishermen. Victor Podlesny, Adam Stephen, Robert Stephen and Bruce Cameron lost their lives when the Sapphire sank two months ago just 12 miles off the coast of Peterhead, a fishing port on the north-east coast of Scotland.

It is believed their bodies are still on the vessel. Once they have been recovered the ship will be returned to a final resting place at sea. There was no sign in the port of the families, who spent the day behind closed doors being comforted by relatives.