Fatal accident on trawler avoidable

A CREWMAN working on the Banff-registered trawler Beryl could still be alive if he had adhered to an onboard safety system, according to accident investigators.

Joshua Aryeetey, from Ghana, was carried into the sea through the stern shooting doors not far from Shetland after a net that had snagged in the process of shooting suddenly freed itself on 10 February this year.

The leading deckhand had stood on the net trying to release a float caught on lashings inside the net track.

A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report, published on Wednesday, stated Aryeetey had been in the water for almost 50 minutes before eventually being recovered by a rescue craft from an offshore support vessel.

The 47-year-old had initially been conscious and able to hold onto the net. He even managed to get to the vessel’s ladder but was unable to hold on due to its violent rolling motion.

Waves were by then washing over the man and he became unresponsive. The crew’s attempts to recover him from the sea were all unsuccessful.

The 28-metre twin rigger Beryl, with six crew on board, was fishing in rough waters around 21 miles north-west of Shetland when the accident happened.

Investigators said the crew had been aware of the dangers of jammed and tangled equipment when shooting nets, and Aryeetey clearly was in a place where he shouldn’t have been when the accident happened.

An onboard risk assessment stated that “the crew MUST stand back until the skipper assesses the situation and gives instructions”.

However, the crew of the Beryl had not completed a practical man overboard drill during their time on board and they were unfamiliar with the man overboard recovery system.

In a safety note issued to the fishing industry, the MAIB said: “Many fishermen must change their behaviour if the risks encountered on board fishing vessels are to be minimised.

“A ‘can-do’ attitude can be a sign of a good worker but in the long run, ‘can-do safely’ is much more effective than ‘can-do quickly’.

“It is easier to prevent crew from falling overboard than it is to recover them from the water.”