Person overboard from potter Portland Isle with loss of 1 life
Location: 2 miles south of Portland Bill, England.
Completed PE Summary: Portland Isle
A short summary of the accident:
| Fishing Vessel/Accident Details | |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Portland Isle |
| Registered Owner/Manager | Privately Owned |
| Port of Registry | Weymouth |
| Flag | UK |
| Type | Fishing vessel |
| Built | 1990 |
| Construction | Fibreglass |
| Length Overall | 12m |
| Gross Tonnage | 23.67 |
| Date/Time | 12/12/2006, 1235 (UTC) |
| Location of Incident | Off Portland Bill |
| Incident Type | Accident to person |
| Persons Onboard | 3 |
| Injuries/Fatalities | 1 fatality |
| Damage/Pollution | None |
Synopsis
At 1235 UTC on 12 december 2006, a crewman was lost overboard from the fishing vessel Portland Isle while shooting pots 2 miles South of Portland Bill. The wind was 36 knots from the west with rough seas, in partly cloudy conditions and good visibility. The tide was setting east at 4 knots.
The vessel was shooting pots, running with the tide and wind, making a speed over the ground of around 6 knots. The aft deck was awash at times. The deck crew were wearing waterproof clothing and wellington boots, they were not wearing lifejackets.
The skipper was manoeuvring the vessel from the wheelhouse as the final line of pots of the day were being shot. The crewman caught his foot as he crossed over the buoy line, after the final pot and anchor weight had been shot over the stern ramp. The third crewman, who was sorting the previous catch, saw the casualty being pulled over board.
The skipper immediately reacted to recover the buoy line and man. As the line was being hauled back on board, the casualty surfaced briefly before his foot released from his entangled boot. He disappeared below the surface and was not seen again.
The Coastgurad initiated an extensive search for the man until after dark. The missing man has not been recovered.