Fisherman who drowned in boat capsize was not wearing lifejacket, report finds

Independent

28-02-2025

A fisherman who drowned after his vessel capsized might have had more chance of survival if he had been wearing a lifejacket, an investigation has found.
Skipper Sandy Alexander, 69, was creel fishing alone in a cove at Melrose Point in Aberdeenshire when the vessel grounded and capsized, and he went overboard.
Mr Alexander suffered a significant head injury and drowned in the incident on September 21, 2023.
A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report found the skipper had been fishing close to shore in a 1-1.5-metre swell when his vessel Lexi Rose grounded at 11.09am.
The report said it is likely the outboard engine's lower assembly unit struck a rock and detached, which resulted in an immediate loss of propulsion and led to the vessel grounding and capsizing.
It found the skipper was 'unlikely to have had time to take all possible actions that might have improved his chances of survival, such as setting an anchor; raising a Mayday distress; and donning a personal flotation device (PFD)'.
Mr Alexander, who lived in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, was a non-swimmer who was known to occasionally wear a PFD while fishing.
The report said: 'The skipper's chances of survival would have been improved had he been wearing a PFD.'
The investigation found Mr Alexander spoke on the phone with the skipper of the vessel Chance which was nearby at 10.51am on the morning of September 21.
The two skippers decided to work as a pair so they could provide support to each other if required.
As Chance headed closer, the skipper heard a 'panicked' call on very high frequency (VHF) radio channel 12 from Mr Alexander, saying 'Lifeboat, lifeboat, lifeboat. We're ashore, engine stopped, need a lifeboat.'
The report said the skipper of Chance immediately responded that they were on their way and steamed eastwards at full speed towards the area where they anticipated Lexi Rose was fishing.
Soon afterwards, Mr Alexander called again on VHF channel 12, sounding 'increasingly panicked' and saying: 'I need a lifeboat, she's going, she's going.'
The skipper of Chance tried to raise the alarm by ringing the Macduff harbourmaster, and the lifeboat coxswain and the coastguard was alerted at 11.16am by a member of the public.
At around 11.12am, the skipper of Chance saw the upturned blue hull of Lexi Rose in a small cove at the base of Melrose Point but could not enter the cove due to the size of Chance, and started to search the area outside in case Mr Alexander had been swept out to sea.
The Macduff inshore lifeboat arrived at the cove at 11.37am but could not enter it due to a combination of sea and swell.
Coastguard helicopter R151 arrived at the scene at midday and located the Lexi Rose skipper floating in the cove.
He was winched onboard the aircraft but was pronounced dead on the flight to Aberdeen.
A post-mortem examination said the cause of death was a significant head injury and drowning.
The MAIB report concluded it is likely the skipper of Lexi Rose had become used to the hazards of working single-handed close inshore and 'did not fully appreciate how the combined effect of the environmental conditions and a loss of propulsion could quickly escalate into an uncontrollable emergency situation'.
It has issued a safety flyer to the fishing industry highlighting the lessons to be learned from the incident.