Snagging, capsize and sinking of stern trawler Bounty
Location: 4 miles of Berry Head, South Devon, England.
Accident Investigation Report 2/2006
Read our marine accident investigation report, which includes what happened and actions taken:
(268.57 kb)
Summary
At about 0930 on 23 May 2005, the small fishing vessel Bounty capsized and sank in Lyme Bay. The vessel had her trawl caught on a seabed obstruction at the time. The two crew members found themselves in the water, with lifebuoys, but were able to board the vessel’s liferaft and were rescued about 5 hours later.
Safety Issues
- Bounty had inadequate freeboard
- the freeing ports on Bounty were of inadequate size and did not meet the current Seafish minimum standard
Recommendations
During the investigation, we discovered Bounty had not been inspected by the MCA until more than 3 years after she had been built, shortly before the vessel was sold on to new owners. We believe it would be beneficial if all new small fishing vessels are inspected before entering service. A recommendation has been made to the MCA in this respect.
This report was published in February 2006.