A fisherman died in a freak sinking, as his fishing vessel capsized when an undetected crack in the hull and a faulty water pump combined to capsize the boat.
John Healy, 57, died when the crab boat Aisling Patrick overturned 16 miles north-west of Eagle Island in Co Mayo.
A rescue helicopter found the victim next to the capsized fishing boat and two of his colleagues were also rescued.
Strong sea currents pushed the wreckage nearly 230 miles north over the past three weeks.
A Marine Casualty Board investigation found: “Around 12.30 hrs the vessel began listing to starboard. The Skipper entered the wheelhouse and the speed was reduced to ascertain the cause of the list.
"A wave struck the vessel on the port quarter which pushed the starboard bulwark under water and flooded the deck. Almost immediately a second wave struck the port side again and capsized the vessel.”
Tragically the crew were trying to send a distress call before the boat was completely swamped by a wave.
The report found: “The Skipper had commenced a mayday message after the first wave struck but he had not completed it when the second wave struck and capsized the vessel. He swam out from underneath the capsized vessel.
“The other two crew members were thrown into the water. The life raft surfaced from under the vessel and one crewmember inflated it and climbed aboard. He threw a large fender towards the Skipper.
“The third crewmember was in the water face down and did not make any attempt to swim or stay afloat.
“One crewmember was in the liferaft, the other two were in the water drifting away.”
Emergency services rushed to the scene when the partial mayday was heard.
The life raft was located by R118 at 13.19 hrs and two crewmembers were lifted on board from the water and one from the life raft.
They were taken to Sligo Hospital where the Casualty was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. The two other crew members were treated for hypothermia.
Some items of wreckage were recovered on the following day. On the 2nd May, 2018 the upturned hull of the vessel came ashore on the Isle of South Uist, Scotland.
A forensic examination found that emergency alarm systems on the vessel were faulty.
Investigators said: “There were at least two possible sources of water ingress identified on the starboard side of the vessel.
“One source identified was the multiple pipe connections between the oil cooler and deck water pump. Another source of water ingress was through a crack in the deck leading to the aft starboard compartment.”
