Fisherman drowned after being trapped in rope and pulled overboard

A fisherman drowned after being pulled overboard by a rope, an investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found.

Hugh MacLachlan was creel fishing on a vessel called Nista when he became trapped in the back rope of the gear he was shooting in the west of the Isle of Luing, near Oban.

The incident took place around midday on December 13, 2023. He was pulled overboard and underwater by the deploying fishing gear and drowned.

The 58-year-old’s body was found entangled in a “perfect knot”, according to the report.

The report said he would have been pulled along behind the vessel and would have been dragged underwater by the weight of the creels.

The boat continued to motor away and was grounded three hours later on a shoal to the north of Belnahua.

The report found that there was “no effective means” for him to separate himself from the fishing gear or to raise the alarm.

Mr MacLachlan was described as a career fisherman who was approaching retirement and fished alone four to five times per week.

He had owned and operated Nista since February 2020 and had completed all mandatory training for commercial fishermen.

The MAIB said there is a “lack of awareness within the fishing sector” of potential hazards when using single-handed fishing vessels.

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.”