Foundering of the fishing vessel Freedom II (CN 111)
Location: 11 nautical miles south-west of Oban, Scotland.
Accident Investigation Report 8/2026
Read our marine accident investigation report, which includes what happened and subsequent actions taken:
Summary
On 21 February 2024, the 15.94m UK registered prawn trawler Freedom II foundered 11 nautical miles south-west of Oban, Scotland. The four crew were rescued uninjured. After being towed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the vessel sank and was not recovered.
Safety issues
-
The vessel foundered due to a progressive flood into the engine room.
-
The exact source of the flood could not be identified. The most likely cause was a vibration-induced fracture of the seawater suction pipe for the deck wash pump.
-
The rate of flooding overwhelmed the operational bilge pumps and additional pumps either failed or could not be used due to power supply issues. The salvage pump from the lifeboat was not used.
-
The skipper was proactive in ensuring that the crew were safe and managed to raise the alarm in an area of poor signal coverage.
Recommendations
No safety recommendations have been made due to previous recommendations made for Guiding Light and Guiding Star and Opportune.
Related publications
- A safety flyer to the fishing industry was also produced with this report to highlight the safety issues identified by this investigation.
- MAIB report 13/2024: Guiding Light and Guiding Star
- MAIB report 3/2026: Opportune
Photograph credit
Image courtesy of MarineTraffic.