Aberdeenshire Fisherman Drowned Was Not Wearing Lifejacket, Report Finds

A fisherman drowned after his boat flipped over. Wearing a lifejacket might have helped him. Sandy Alexander, 69, was fishing alone when his boat hit ground and capsized in Aberdeenshire, leading to him falling overboard.

The incident happened September 21, 2023. Alexander suffered a head injury and then drowned. A report looking into the accident found he fished close to shore. Waves were about 1 to 1.5 meters.

The boat, Lexi Rose, hit ground at 11:09 a.m. The engine likely hit a rock, causing it to break and stop. This resulted in the boat losing power and capsizing. He probably didn’t have time to react; he could have anchored or called for help.

Using a flotation device could have assisted him. Alexander lived in Fraserburgh and sometimes wore a flotation device. The report stated a lifejacket would have helped. He spoke to another skipper at 10:51 a.m., and they agreed to support each other.

The other skipper heard a panicked radio call where Alexander said, “Lifeboat, lifeboat, lifeboat,” and “We’re ashore, engine stopped, need a lifeboat.” The other skipper headed toward him fast, and Alexander sounded more panicked. He repeated, “I need a lifeboat, she’s going, she’s going.”

The skipper tried to alert the harbor and coastguard. Someone called them at 11:16 a.m., and the skipper then saw the overturned boat at Melrose Point. He couldn’t reach him due to his larger boat.

The lifeboat arrived at 11:37 a.m. but also could not enter because of rough seas. A helicopter spotted Alexander at noon floating in the cove. They lifted him into the helicopter.

He died on the way to Aberdeen. The cause of death was head trauma and drowning. The report said he knew the risks but didn’t realize how fast things could worsen. Losing power in those conditions created an emergency. They issued a safety warning to fishermen.