Fatality on scalloper off Sussex coast
23rd October 2023
A man has died following an accident onboard the Peterhead-registered scalloper Honeybourne III PD 905 off the coast of Sussex.
The incident, in the early hours of Saturday, 7 October, prompted a multi-agency response, with Newhaven RNLI’s Severn-class all-weather lifeboat and Coastguard rescue helicopter 175 tasked to attend the vessel, which was located 22nm southwest of Newhaven.
On reaching the vessel at 1.15am, RNLI casualty care-trained crew were transferred onboard. A winchman was also lowered onto the vessel from the Coastguard helicopter. Once the casualty’s condition had been assessed, a course was set for Shoreham harbour.
Sussex Police later confirmed that a man had died in the incident. “The vessel was brought into Shoreham, where it was met by officers from Sussex Police and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).
The police said that ‘no suspicious circumstances’ had been identified and that its officers were now supporting the MAIB investigation.
Andrew Brown, director of public affairs at Macduff Shellfish, the owner of the vessel, said: “There was an accident on the Honeybourne III and it has returned to the port.
“Sadly, there has been one crew member fatality. Our thoughts are with the deceased’s family and the crew. We are providing support to the crew.”
This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.
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Image credit: RNLI
