Ireland’s Marine Casualty Investigation Board issued an investigation report on the fatality of a crew member during retrieving the net, onboard the fishing vessel ‘Endurance’, in November 2016 off Porcupine Bank area.
The incident
On the 8th November 2016, the ‘MFV Endurance’ was fishing for prawns (Nephrops) approximately 200 nautical miles South West of the Irish coast in the Porcupine Bank area. At approximately 18.30 hrs the nets were being hauled. The starboard side net was extremely heavy.
In the course of retrieving the net, one Crewmember became trapped between the net and the starboard side stern quarter. The net slewed to starboard taking the Crewmember with it. The Crewmember was physically inverted, crushed against the starboard rail and was then carried over the rail by the force of the net. The Crewmember landed on the ledge outboard of the rail and was pinned there by the net.
The Skipper and crew managed to haul the Crewmember back over the rail and onto the after upper deck of the vessel, but the Crewmember was fatally injured.
Key points
- Problems such as nets picking up stones or inverting in the water are an integral part of trawl fishing. In this case, the crew had identified that the net was particularly heavy and were dealing with it by setting up the equipment to use the net drum and gilson winch together to haul the net aboard.
- The speed of the events in the incident did not afford any of the crew the opportunity to react and or intervene to prevent his death.
- It is not possible to determine whether in the course of this task, Crewmember No. 7 moved to this position in error or was pulled into the position by the net.
- Remedial works have been carried out by the owner to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.
Recommendations
The design and layout of the stern of the vessel should be evaluated by the owner with a view to improving the lateral restraint of the nets and their associated ropes and chains whilst they are deployed over the stern.
The object of any such evaluation should be to improve the size of the refuge areas available to the crew in the event of rapid shifts in the lie of nets, chains and/or ropes as the vessel rolls and pitches in the water under the influence of the wind conditions and the sea state.
Find out more in the following report:
