UK MAIB video
In 2009, there was a spate of accidents involving men going overboard from fishing vessels for a variety of reasons, mostly with tragic consequences. Nine lives were lost this way. Only one fisherman was recovered alive. His experience is told in this short film and reveals the difficulties experienced while trying to recover a man from the sea without suitable equipment.
“I wasn’t wearing a lifejacket. When I surfaced, the cold caused my blood to go to my core, so my arms and legs started to weaken. I was only in the water for about 4 minutes but it was hard to stay afloat. If I hadn’t been rescued quickly, I wouldn’t have been able to keep up for very long.“Wayne Evans, man overboard survivor said.
The MAIB recommends skippers and crew to think about the layout of their vessels and the equipment available and to consider how they would retrieve someone back on board their vessel.
MAIB film first published May 2010.