Serious injury to a crew member on board the stern trawler Reliance III (BF 800)
Location: 46 nautical miles south-east of Sumburgh, Shetland Islands, Scotland.
Completed preliminary assessment (PA) summary 1/26: Reliance III (BF 800)
Synopsis
At 0500 on 17 October 2025, a crew member on board the UK registered fishing vessel Reliance III (Figure 1) had their lower right arm severed by the on board ice generator. The crew member was airlifted to hospital but their limb could not be reattached. The crew member was alone on watch during trawling operations in the North Sea when they noticed on the fish room closed-circuit television monitor that the ice generator was not functioning as normal. The crew member left the wheelhouse and went to the ice machine room to investigate. While checking the machine, the crew member accidentally dropped an inspection hatch cover into the ice generator’s drum (Figure 2).
As the crew member reached into the drum to retrieve the inspection hatch cover, their right arm became trapped in the ice generator’s rotating reamer. The crew member tried unsuccessfully to stop the ice generator. The reamer completed several revolutions over about 4 minutes, only releasing the trapped crew member when their lower right arm was severed. The injured crew member switched off the electrical supply to the ice generator, then went to the foredeck and called the skipper via mobile phone before activating the general alarm in the wheelhouse.
The skipper went to the wheelhouse and administered immediate first aid, using strips of towel to apply a tourniquet to the crew member’s arm.
At 0510, the skipper contacted His Majesty’s Coastguard (HMCG) via mobile phone and requested helicopter assistance. At 0514, HMCG tasked a search and rescue helicopter and, at 0601, a paramedic was winched onto Reliance III. Meanwhile, the skipper restarted the ice generator to rotate the reamer and free the crew member’s severed limb, which was then packed in ice and given to the paramedic.
The injured crew member was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Scotland for emergency treatment. The crew member’s arm could not be reattached.
Findings
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The crew member left the wheelhouse unattended during trawling operations.
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The ice generator was not switched off either before the inspection hatch cover was removed or after the inspection hatch cover had fallen into the drum. The machine was not electrically isolated before attempting to retrieve the cover, which was found in the bottom of the drum post-accident.
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There were no interlocks on the inspection covers to stop the ice generator if a cover was removed while the machine was running.
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The crew member acted without informing other crew members of the maintenance/inspection activity.
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There was no signage around the ice generator to indicate it must be isolated before removing the inspection hatch covers. There was a faded yellow warning triangle marked ‘rotating machinery’ on top of the drum.
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The skipper demonstrated commendable initiative in applying a tourniquet and coordinating the casualty’s evacuation, but the retrieval of the severed arm involved restarting hazardous machinery and introduced further risk.
Actions taken
Reliance Fishing Company Limited has:
- fitted an emergency stop button on the top of the ice generator
- implemented lock-out/tag-out procedures for all machinery maintenance
- labelled the ice generator to warn that inspection hatch covers must not be removed while the machine is running
- reviewed and reinforced crew training on ice generator inspection and maintenance
- updated the vessel’s risk assessments and safe systems of work for all rotating equipment.
In light of the actions taken, the safety issues are considered sufficiently promulgated by this preliminary assessment summary and a full investigation will not be conducted.
| Ship particulars | |
|---|---|
| Vessel’s name | Reliance III |
| Flag | UK |
| Classification society | Not applicable |
| IMO number | 9898888 |
| Type | Stern trawler |
| Registered owner | Reliance Fishing Company Limited |
| Manager | Peter & J. Johnstone Limited |
| Operator | Reliance Fishing Company Limited |
| Construction | Steel |
| Year of build | 2019 |
| Length overall | 20.4m |
| Registered length | 16.49m |
| Gross tonnage | 182 |
| Minimum safe manning | Not applicable |
| Authorised cargo | Not applicable |
| Voyage particulars | |
|---|---|
| Port of departure | Peterhead, Scotland |
| Port of arrival | Peterhead, Scotland |
| Type of voyage | Fishing |
| Cargo information | Not applicable |
| Manning | 7 |
| Marine casualty information | |
|---|---|
| Date and time | 17 October 2025 at 0510 |
| Type of marine casualty or incident | Less Serious Marine Casualty |
| Location of incident | 46nm SE of Sumburgh, Shetland Islands, Scotland 59°25’.20N 000°00.33E |
| Place on board | Ice machine room |
| Injuries/fatalities | Amputation of right arm below the elbow |
| Damage/environmental impact | Not applicable |
| Ship operation | Fishing |
| Voyage segment | On passage |
| External & internal environment | Light wind; >1m swell |
| Persons on board | 7 crew |
Photograph credit
- figure 1 courtesy of Fishing News
- figure 2 courtesy of Geneglace Ice Technology.