Fishing vessel sank in just a minute after taking on water off Co Wexford

A fishing vessel sank in just a minute after taking on water off the coast of Co Wexford earlier this year.

The FV Aztec, which had left Duncannon, got into difficulty as it pair trawled, that is, towed one large net using two vessels, with the FV Western Dawn for sprats last January.

The four-man crew of the FV Aztec had already taken eight tonnes of fish on board when a crew member noticed a hole in a section of the deck that was allowing water to flood into the steering compartment.

The water was rushing in so fast that there was no time to activate the engine-driven bilge pump or the large electric fish pump.

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The rate of flooding and the rapid sinking would have made any attempt to evacuate water by these pumps "futile", the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) has concluded in a report on the incident.

As the stern settled deeper into the water, the skipper ordered the ship to be abandoned and the crew transferred to the FV Western Dawn. The FV Aztec then sank immediately beneath the waves.

The MCIB described the sinking as a “very serious marine casualty resulting in the loss of the vessel”.

The sinking, which occurred at approximately 11am on January 11th this year, was caused by the crew trying to haul in more fish. This action resulted in the after deck on the starboard side dipping into the water.

The effect of the additional catch being taken on board at the time of the incident would have caused “considerable settling by the stern and listing to starboard”, the MCIB concluded.

The accident board recommended that owners/skippers should be more aware of the safe loading capacity of their vessels. There is no limit to the amount of fish vessels like the Aztec can store, but it is recommended that it should be no more than 12 tonnes.