Fisherman was dragged overboard to his death

A FISHERMAN died after being dragged overboard when his boot became snagged in ropes attached to creels, a report has found.

The alarm was raised after Tony Masson’s son Duncan, who was on another one-man boat at the time, noticed his father’s vessel going round in circles.

The crew of a rescue helicopter spotted Mr Masson off the coast of Macduff, Banffshire. He was floating face-down, just under the surface.

The 67-year-old, who had not been wearing a lifejacket, was flown to hospital in Aberdeen but was declared dead on arrival.

An investigation into the tragedy, on March 27, was carried out by the

Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

Its report, published today, states: ‘The investigation concluded that he drowned either because he was dragged under water by the weight of the creels and was unable to free himself in time to reach the surface, or because he was unable to keep himself afloat after releasing his foot from his Wellington boot.’

Investigators think Mr Masson tried to cut himself free, as the line on which he was snagged had been ‘almost completely severed’.

Crab fisherman Mr Masson, who previously served in the Royal Navy, set off from Macduff Harbour in calm seas aboard his boat, the Sea Mist, around 9.40am.

He headed for his usual fishing grounds just to the north of the town while his son steered towards Banff Bay. Around 12.15pm the younger man called his father’s mobile phone and told him he had finished fishing for the day.

Shortly afterwards he noticed that the 18.5ft Sea Mist was circling, with no sign of his father. After boarding the vessel, he saw his father’s baseball cap floating in the water and raised the alarm.

The accident occurred around 12.25pm and Mr Masson was pulled out of the water nearly an hour later at 1.21pm. A post-mortem examination showed he had drowned.

The MAIB report identifies a number of safety lessons.

Mr Masson was working alone on deck without a lifejacket or personal locator beacon and there were no barriers in place to separate him from his fishing gear.

The investigation found that a barrier ‘would probably have prevented this accident’. It states: ‘Once he entered the water he had no means of raising the alarm or remaining afloat without the need to swim.

‘Without the buoyant support of a lifejacket a person’s survival time after sudden immersion in cold water can be measured in minutes.

‘In this case, like many others, a lifejacket might well have saved the skipper’s life.’

According to the MAIB, there have been 33 recorded fatalities on UK creel boats or similar vessels since 2007. The report adds: ‘Singlehanded fishing is particularly hazardous as there is no one else at hand to assist in the event of an incident. In such circumstances, even a simple trip or slip can result in tragic consequences.’

A recommendation has been made to the fishing industry safety group co-ordination group aimed at improving awareness of widely available safety guidance.

‘May have tried to cut himself free’