Double man overboard from the fishing vessel Weston Bay, resulting in one fatality, approximately 12 nautical miles south-east of Spurn Head, England, on 22 May 2024. Investigation into the double man overboard from the fishing vessel Weston Bay (GY123), resulting in one fatality, approximately 12 nautical miles south-east of Spurn Head, England, on 22 May 2024
Summary:
On 22 May 2024, two deckhands from the potting vessel Weston Bay (GY123) went overboard during deployment of the vessel’s pots, approximately 12 nautical miles south-east of Spurn Head, England.
The remaining crew promptly recovered one of the deckhands unharmed but were unsuccessful in their efforts to recover the second, who was later recovered by a second vessel; he was not breathing and could not be resuscitated.
The key safety issues identified were:
- There was no separation from the pots for the crew working the stack when deploying the gear, which put them at risk of entanglement, harm and injury.
- The risks of going overboard after interaction with the gear had not been fully assessed or mitigated.
- The crew were unprepared for the emergency as they had not practised emergency MOB drills.
- The emergency MOB recovery equipment on board was not effective for the recovery of an unconscious person from the water.
Safety recommendations:
Seafish has been recommended to:
- Review its Basic Health and Safety and Safety Awareness and Risk Assessment course content and develop a safety management module for its Under 16.5m Skipper’s Certificate (Restricted) and Under 16.5m Skipper’s Certificate (Unrestricted) courses.
Fastline Shellfish Limited has been recommended to:
- Develop a safety management system that aligns with the principles outlined in Maritime and Coastguard Agency guidance. The company has also been recommended to develop a system of shooting pots that provides physical separation from the gear for the crew.
Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Rob Loder said:
“This accident is a tragic example of how quickly things can go wrong during fishing operations and how challenging it can be to recover a crew member from the water.
“It is crucial that crew have a physical separation from running fishing gear. The safety benefits of self-shooting systems are undermined and crew are placed at risk if they need to interact with shooting pots, as was sadly demonstrated in this accident.
“If things go wrong and someone ends up in the water, crew must know how to respond to recover them quickly and safely. Recovery equipment must be well maintained and fit for its intended purpose.”