OEYVAERING

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Investigation report into fatal accident published

The fisherman Are Strand died when he fell overboard from the "Øyværing", which then ran aground at Kabelvåg on March 1, 2024. Now the accident report from the Accident Investigation Board Norway is ready. The accident most likely occurred when the lone fisherman on board the"Øyværing" was setting the third net link and fell overboard. The vessel continued on autopilot and grounded north on the island of Kreta at Kabelvåg. People on land observed the vessel and reported it to the emergency services, and a search was launched. The fisherman was later found in the area where the fisherman's third net link was set, and died as a result of the accident, writes the Accident Investigation Board. No recommendations have been made after the investigation, but the Accident Investigation Board wrote that they emphasized the importance of following up on the action plan with the vision zero for the number of fatalities and serious injuries at sea, which was adopted by the Storting in 2022. A large proportion of the accidents in solo fishing that the board investigated have shown that fishermen have fallen overboard in connection with the operation of the vessel. It is the actual conditions that mean that a lone fisherman must be physically located close to the rig in an exposed position during some parts of the setting and hauling process, which is the main challenge. For smaller fishing vessels with one person on board, it is therefore challenging to identify good measures that can eliminate this danger completely. When the fisherman fell overboard, no one immediately noticed that he was in distress. He had no opportunity to warn, and the fisherman did not use a flotation device, wrote the Accident Investigation Board Norway. A review of previous accidents involving lone fishermen that SHK has investigated has shown that very few lone fishermen used flotation devices. The Accident Investigation Board believes that the consequence-reducing measures such as personal alert devices, flotation devices, electronic emergency stops and ladders, individually or in combination, would increase the likelihood of saving lives in accidents where a lone fisherman falls overboard. In the action plan prepared by the Norwegian Maritime Directorate in connection with the work on the zero vision, several measures have been proposed for, among other things, smaller fishing vessels. Some of these measures are particularly relevant in view of the accident with the ««Øyværing»». Reports with photos: https://www.vaganavisa.no/nyheter/i/zEdax4/undersoeker-doedsulykken https://www.kystmagasinet.no/sikkerhet-statens-havarikommisjon-ulykke/alenefiskere-er-ekstra-utsatt-for-a-do-pa-jobb/1885601