Tag Archives: Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB)
Floating device would likely not have saved fisherman, inquiry hears
A fisherman who fell overboard from a local whitefish trawler is unlikely to have survived even if he had worn his personal flotation device (PFD) correctly, an inquiry into his death heard on Tuesday. Edison Lacaste died after falling into the water while carrying out repairs to fishing gear on the twin rigger Copious in the early hours of 18 February 2021. The crew instantly responded to the incident by throwing a floating mooring rope but the 45-year-old Philippine national became unresponsive within two to three minutes. The second day of a Fatal Accident Inquiry held at Lerwick Sheriff Court also heard that the owners of the fishing vessel, 60 North Fishing (Shetland) Ltd, had complied with all necessary maritime health and safety requirements, and had held and recorded man overboard drills on a regular basis. more, >>click to read<< 16:17
Skipper recalls man overboard incident as fatal accident inquiry begins
The Skipper of a local whitefish trawler told an inquiry at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Monday how he was unable to hold on to a fellow crewman who fell overboard while carrying out repairs. The body of Edison Lacaste was recovered from the waters by the Sumburgh based search and rescue helicopter 30 miles southeast of Sumburgh in February 2021. During the first day of a Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of the 45-year-old Philippine national, skipper of the Copious LK 985 Andrew White recalled the events that led to the tragic loss. The twin rigger was hauling its nets in the early hours of 18 February, when the crew became aware that a hammer lock on one of the wires attached to the net had failed and needed to be replaced. more, >>click to read<< 14:50
Report finds Reul a Chuain tragedy stresses importance of wearing a PFD
On the evening of 24 June 2021, the 18-metre Reul a Chuain (OB915) was on passage with three crew to Mallaig, Scotland when a deckhand fell overboard in adverse weather while trying to recover one of the vessel’s nets, which had slipped over the stern during heavy rolling. The skipper attempted to recover him from the water but also fell overboard. Neither of them were wearing personal flotation devices. Both men were recovered by the inexperienced remaining crew member. The skipper was unresponsive and, despite efforts by the vessel’s crew and search and rescue personnel, he could not be revived. >click to read< 11:29
MAIB report reveals drama of the moment a WWII bomb exploded under a fishing boat
The shocking details of an explosion off Cromer which left a fishing boat’s crewmen with life-changing injuries have been laid bare in a new report. A German bomb had lain dormant on the seabed since the Second World War 80 years ago until it was disturbed by crab-pot string from the Galwad-Y-Mor, just over two years ago. The bomb detonated, triggering a shockwave and gas explosion that threw the boat out of the water and left the crew nursing a string of serious injuries, including broken arms and legs, and the loss of sight in one crewman’s eye. photos, >click to read<,–>click for related stories< 11:08
Investigation continues into fishing boat struck by WWII explosives off Skegness coast
The boat, Galwad-Y-Mor, was damaged and abandoned when an explosion occurred just 37 miles off the coast of Skegness, on December 15 last year, according to a report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch. A crew of seven were operating in potting fishing grounds east of the Wash, off Lincolnshire’s coastline, after departing from Grimsby. At around 11:20am, some of the crew were hauling in a string of crab pots, whilst the 
skipper was in the wheelhouse with the rest of the crew members belowdecks working the pots. The vessel was thrown up from the sea surface and quickly landed back down. All electrical power was immediately lost. The crew members were all hurt. Some endured life-changing injuries. >click to read< 09:04
Unexploded Ordnance May be Cause of Fishing Vessel Blast
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has launched an inquiry into a blast aboard a fishing vessel off Norfolk, UK on December 15, which injured all seven crewmembers on board. The explosion aboard the crabbing vessel Galwad-Y-Mor,,, “The hauler was being used to heave in the back rope, and the crew had let the skipper know that there was a lot of tension on the line, when there was an unexpected explosion. Galwad-Y-Mor was thrown up from the sea surface, then landed heavily back down; all propulsion and electrical power was immediately lost. The skipper was injured and dazed, but conscious, and saw that the wheelhouse had been completely wrecked.” >click to read< 16: 32
Critical Report into the sinking of the Fishing Vessel Majestic off Shetland
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has found that the crew of Majestic did nothing to stop the flooding in the engine room prior to abandoning the vessel. In its report into the sinking off Shetland, it said that although the engine room’s bilge alarm sounded in the wheelhouse, it was not heard because the skipper and his brother were working on deck. The crew of the 16 metre wooden potter abandoned into a life raft and were rescued by a nearby fishing vessel. Neither of them were injured. Both were lifelong fishermen. Majestic subsequently drifted, and sank just two metres from a gas pipeline off the Point of Fethaland on 21 January 2016. Read the rest here 14:36
Scotland Western Isles – Investigation following the worst local fishing tragedy in 50 years
A major investigation is underway after a crab boat sank off the Western Isles in what has been described as the worst local fishing tragedy for half a century. Two men died and another remains missing after the Stornoway-registered sank off the east coast of Mingulay in the early hours of Saturday. It is believed the four fishermen were asleep in their bunks at anchor, about 12 miles south of Barra, unaware that the vessel was taking on water. The crew abandoned ship onto a life raft – but there were claims last night that it had failed to properly inflate. Read the rest here 08:28
Watch: Campaign launched after 88 people injured or killed in fishing vessel accidents
More than 80 people have been injured or killed in accidents involving deck machinery on fishing vessels in the last five years. Fishermen in the North of England are being urged to stay safe by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), after figures revealed the number of people injured of killed in UK waters. Data released by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) shows that four fishermen tragically lost their lives in deck machinery incidents from 1 January 2011 to to 10 November 2015, with a further 84 injuries being suffered by commercial fishing crew. Watch, Read the article here 09:00
