Over the past six months the MAIB has launched investigations into a number of fatal accidents on board fishing vessels. We have identified various recurrent themes but man overboard retrieval remains a persistent, and deadly, issue. Tragically in February a fisherman lost his life off the Shetlands when he fell overboard and his crew couldn’t recover him, even though at one point he had two hands on the vessel’s recessed ladder.
Last month Jack Martin, one of our inspectors, took part in a man overboard experience exercise held for the fishing community. Organised by the RNLI with funding from Trinity House and Seafish, the aim was to give fishermen the opportunity to gain an understanding of what fishermen falling overboard would experience.
Read details of the training experience: