Crew members were not wearing flotation devices when the Njord capsized off Peterhead, leading to a tragic death.
The boat capsized in March 2022. It was about 150 miles from Peterhead. An investigation looked into it, finding that the boat took on a lot of water.
None of the eight crew wore life vests, nor did they have immersion suits. No one had an alarm to call for help. The boat flipped over completely.
Luckily, the boat’s beacon worked and alerted rescuers. A helicopter and ship went to help, with the helicopter arriving in 45 minutes.
The Njord sank fast, and all the crew ended up in the water. The helicopter saved three people, while a rescue ship picked up the other five.
They flew the three to a hospital in Norway. One deckhand later died there; the autopsy showed he drowned. The other two went home after three days.
The boat overturned because of a full fishing net that pulled on the boat. A valve was open too, which let water flood the boat. Changes to the boat made it less stable, causing it to capsize.
The investigators made no new suggestions, as there is already advice about boat changes and life vests.