The Department of Transport has issued a reminder of a number of Marine Notices regarding safety at sea, following the recommendations of a report into a fatal incident involving a fishing boat near Galway city 15 months ago.
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, 37-year-old Tom Oliver — a relative of the Olivers who rescued two paddle boarders in Galway Bay in August 2020 — died after he became entangled in gear and was dragged over the stern of the six-metre fishing vessel Myia on 2 November 2020.
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) report into the incident found that the weather deteriorated “significantly” after the FV Myia left harbour that day.
It added that “violent movements” generated by the worsening sea conditions while feeding out shrimp pots may have been a contributory factor.
But it also found that the use of a mobile phone to make a distress call — instead of a Mayday call over VHF radio or activating a personal locator beacon — “added some delay, however short, in the alert of the emergency services”.
The report also found that the casualty was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) or lifejacket while operating on an open deck in hazardous conditions.
Following this report, Marine Notice No 07 of 2022 highlights a number of prior notices regarding the correct used of PFDs, the use of VHF radio (also here), fishing vessel safety and the dangers of potting operations (also here), and the importance of weather forecasts and voyage planning (also here).
