THE good and the bad sides of
human nature have been laid bare
in the aftermath of the Holyhead
marina devastation.
As people rally locally and
nationally to raise thousands
of pounds to help stricken boat
owners, others saw the crisis as
an opportunity to loot and steal.
A Holyhead family who run
charter boats have told the
Chronicle of the heartache at
seeing boats sunk and their
business wrecked when winds of
more than 70mph ripped through
the marina last Friday.
More than 80 boats were sunk
or damaged and the marina
destroyed when Storm Emma hit.
But Aaron Smith, skipper at
Anglesey Charter Fishing, which
he runs with dad Mel, mum
Pearl and sister Sara, said the
family had been “astounded by
the “phenomenal generosity” of
people wanting to help, but at the
same time, he had been “shocked”
by the looting.
Bad Boyz II sank and the
family’s other boat, Bad Boyz III,
was smashed on rocks and is a
write-off.
Aaron, 26, from Maes Hyfryd
Road, who is also a crewman on
the Trearddur Bay lifeboat, said:
“I just stood and watched it all
happen.
“It was terrible to see the boats
and know I couldn’t do anything. I
had to walk away. It was ‘gutting’.
“The amazing response by
people locally and nationally to
help the boat owners has been
phenomenal. But the looting was
a shock. People took anything
they could get their hands on.
We lost about £2,000 in electronic
and angling equipment. A
crowdfunding page has raised
over £7,000 since Friday but
others are raising money too. We
can’t thank people enough.”
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