Person overboard from potter Blue Angel with 1 person injured
Location: West of Gigha, Scotland.
Accident Investigation Report 12/2011
Read our marine accident investigation report, which includes what happened, actions taken and subsequent recommendations:
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Summary
At 1248 UTC on 6 January 2011, a fisherman on board the 8.24m potter Blue Angel was dragged overboard when his leg became caught in the back rope of a fleet of creels that was being shot over the stern. He was submerged for several minutes at a depth of up to 40 metres before the two remaining crewmen managed to recover him on board and administer first-aid. A coastguard helicopter arrived on scene swiftly and transferred the fisherman to hospital where he made a full recovery.
Safety Issues
- Blue Angel’s creels could become jammed in the stern opening if they were dragged through at certain angles
- working practices on board meant that when a fisherman went aft to free a jammed creel, he was likely to walk on or near the back rope and risk becoming caught in a bight of rope and being dragged overboard
- there was no system of positive communication between the fishermen and the skipper to ensure that the boat was slowed and the weight taken off the back line when a crew member went aft
- although personal flotation devices (PFD) were available on board, they were not worn routinely by the crew
Recommendations
The vessel’s owner has been recommended to improve the safety of the self-shooting arrangement on board.
This report was published on 22 July 2011.