5 days ago
Fisherman drowned after equipment pulled him overboard
A lone fisherman was dragged overboard by his equipment and drowned, a marine accident investigation has MacLachlan was creel fishing while near the Isle of Luing, off the Argyll coast, when the tragedy occurred on 13 December 2023. A report found the 58-year-old became entangled in a rope while releasing creels and was dragged through an opening at the back of his boat, Nista, into the sea. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said the accident showed that creel operations pose "persistent and enduring hazards" to the lives of fishermen.
After Mr MacLachlan was pulled overboard, the unmanned vessel continued to motor away and grounded three hours later on a shoal to the north of report said he would have been pulled along behind the vessel and the weight of the creels would have dragged him underwaterThe skipper's body was later recovered entangled in what was described as a "perfect knot". There was no effective means for him to separate himself from the fishing gear or to raise any alarm from the water, meaning once he was pulled overboard he had "little chance of survival", the report found. The investigators wrote: "The circumstances of this accident highlight the persistent and enduring hazard that the dangers of creel and potting operations continue to pose to the lives of fishermen."The report made no specific recommendations, but said there was a general lack of awareness of the hazards when using single-handed fishing MacLachlan was a career fisherman approaching retirement, who fished single-handed four to five times a week. He was known to be safety conscious and to show concern for others at sea, the report found.
