Man drowned after lifejacket 'snagged' off fishing gear and pulled him overboard

A crew member working on a fishing vessel in the North Sea died after drowning when his lifejacket snagged on fishing gear, an investigation has found.

The deckhand was on board the Kingfisher, which was manually shooting a string of creels off the coast of Wick on July 12, 2024, when the incident happened.

The man became trapped in a creel leg rope and was dragged into the water.

The vessel’s crew were able to use a hauling winch to get hold of the backrope and pull the deckhand, who was submerged, back onboard within seven minutes of him entering the water.

Despite the best efforts of the crew, lifeboat teams, a paramedic from the Coastguard rescue helicopter, and crew members of a wind farm guard vessel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

A report issued by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch said it was “extremely regrettable” that the safety equipment played a part in the incident.

Chief inspector of marine accidents, Andrew Moll OBE, said: “There has been a long and largely successful campaign to encourage the wearing of personal flotation devices at sea. It is therefore extremely regrettable that a deckhand’s PFD played a part in this tragic accident.

“Industry guidance encourages fishing vessel owners/operators to identify the most suitable means of mitigating the risks from fishing operations. It is important to recognise that PFDs promote survival when in the water, but they do not prevent crew from falling or being pulled overboard by the fishing gear.

“Depending on the activity being undertaken, personal protective equipment such as safety harnesses and tethers may be needed to prevent someone going overboard.”

A review of the man’s death found that the safety loop was a “snagging hazard” that hadn’t been identified beforehand and that an onboard risk assessment hadn’t identified that the lifejacket was unsuitable for the work being carried out.

A recommendation was made for the owners and crew of creel fishing boats to review their deck working assessments.