Dolgellau Council Unveils Memorial to 15 Victims of 1966 Prince of Wales Sinking
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 26
Dolgellau Council Unveils Memorial to 15 Victims of 1966 Prince of Wales Sinking
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 26
Summary
A new plaque naming all 15 dead was unveiled on the 60th anniversary of the Prince of Wales pleasure boat disaster on the Mawddach Estuary in Gwynedd.
Peter Watts, now 74, attended the ceremony after losing his parents, brother and sister when the boat sank on 22 July 1966; he said he wanted the victims not to be forgotten.
The vessel was wrecked after the tide pushed it into the Penmaenpool toll bridge, throwing 42 passengers into the water; local rescuers saved 27, but four children were among those who died.
An official inquiry found the boat carried 6 more passengers than its certified 36, had only one crew member, and lacked adequate lifebelts and buoyancy gear.
That inquiry found skipper Edward Llewelyn negligent and prompted changes to passenger-boat insurance and capacity laws, though no prosecutions were brought.