Experts probe fatal boat capsize

A helicopter was involved in the rescue attempt

A marine accident inquiry has begun into the deaths of three people whose boat capsized in heavy seas off the North Yorkshire coast.

Two brothers and a woman, all from Middlesbrough, died after the boat sank just outside Whitby Harbour on Friday.

A force-eight gale warning was in place and the sea swell was 20-30ft high.

Andrew Stewart Carrick, 45, his partner, Jill Russell, 48, and his brother John Russell Carrick, 36, died despite being rescued from the sea.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said both brothers were unemployed, and Ms Russell was a shop assistant. None of them had children.

'Atrocious conditions'

The spokesman said: "Next of kin have been informed and ask that they are left at this time to grieve in private."

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has begun a preliminary examination into the capsize of the 24ft cabin cruiser, Last Call.

A Whitby RNLI spokesman said the boat went out in "atrocious weather conditions".

Witnesses have commented on the brave actions of the Whitby lifeboat crew and the helicopter crew North Yorkshire Police

Lifeboat workers could see 16ft (5m) waves crashing into the boat as it headed out of the harbour.

They tried three times to radio the vessel warning it to turn back, without making contact.

"Soon after leaving the harbour the boat was seen attempting to turn around but capsized in the rough seas," the RNLI spokesman said.

Coastguards received a 999 call from Ms Russell on board the boat, after the two men were swept overboard.

The lifeboat rescued the men 100yd (about 110m) from the West Pier.

Mouth-to-mouth

A helicopter crew from RAF Leconfield rescued Ms Russell from the sea and took her to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough.

We can only warn again that the sea is a killer Mike Bill, Humber Coastguard

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Witnesses have commented on the brave actions of the Whitby lifeboat crew and the helicopter crew, both operating in very challenging circumstances."

Roy Weatherill, Whitby RNLI lifeboat operations manager, said: "The lifeboat launched very quickly and the crew did an absolutely magnificent job to recover the two people from the water.

"The guys tried to give mouth-to-mouth and first aid, that was their priority until the paramedics took over.

"They are naturally very upset."

Mike Bill, rescue co-ordination centre manager at Humber Coastguard, warned people to be wary of going out on to rough seas.

"We can only warn again that the sea is a killer and that in these very rough conditions individuals must be aware of the risks that they take when approaching or going out on the sea," he said.

A spokesman for the Whitby Watchkeepers, a voluntary organisation that provides back-up for coastguards, said that no other boats had left the harbour yesterday.