Sheriff demands life jackets be made compulsory at sea

A SHERIFF yesterday called for fishermen to be forced by law to wear life jackets after ruling a man who died when his boat sank could have survived if he had worn one.

Scott MacAlister, 40, died when his vessel, Speedwell, sank off the West Coast. He was the only person on the small prawn boat when it went down near Easdale Island, Argyll, in April 2013.

His body has never been recovered.

A Fatal Accident Inquiry at Oban Sheriff Court heard claims the boat’s owner, John Connell, failed to keep it seaworthy.

Sheriff Patrick Hughes issued his findings in a 57-page judgment that saw him rule the Speedwell was unseaworthy and contained faulty pump equipment.

He said: ‘The sinking was caused by the vessel’s aft compartment becoming flooded by seawater coming in through the aft deck hatch, which was not secure or watertight.

‘The vessel’s owner and skipper had inadequate regard to the requirements of health and safety. In the four years prior to the accident, no attempts were made to have any of the lifesaving equipment suitably maintained.

‘Nor were any checks carried out to confirm whether any of it was capable of working. No health and safety risk assessments were carried out in that period. By the date of the accident, the vessel’s flares and smoke signals had passed their expiry date.’

Sheriff Hughes said the Code of Practice for the Safety of Small Fishing Vessels should be changed to make wearing life jackets for crews ‘a mandatory requirement’.

Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said: ‘The federation has spent a lot of time and money, in conjunction with others, on supplying life jackets to fishermen and ensuring that they understand the importance of wearing them while at sea. We are committed to continuing this process.’