Deckhand Drowns After PFD Snags on Fishing Gear in Tragic Accident

In a tragic incident that occurred last July, a deckhand on the fishing vessel Kingfisher lost his life after his personal flotation device (PFD) became snagged on the vessel's fishing gear. According to a report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), the deckhand was shooting creels off the coast of Wick in the Highlands when he inadvertently passed a toggle on the creel rope through a loop on his PFD.

When the creel was deployed, the deckhand's inflated PFD was unable to overcome the weight of the fishing gear, and he was pulled overboard and held underwater. The other crew members on deck heard the deckhand's scream and witnessed him being rapidly dragged across the shooting table and over the vessel's side.

Though the crew cut the backrope and maneuvered the boat to rescue the man, they found he was still attached to the gear and had been pulled underwater by the fleet of creels. Despite the efforts of the vessel's crew, an RNLI lifeboat, and a coastguard rescue helicopter, the deckhand could not be revived and was pronounced dead.

The MAIB report described the incident as "extremely regrettable," noting that the PFD's becket, or loop of webbing, had become a known snagging hazard that the deckhand may not have recognized. The report also found that the vessel's risk assessments did not effectively mitigate the risk of entanglement while shooting creels, and that mandatory crew training was incomplete.