Probe into collision of trawlers in Irish Sea

Probe into collision of trawlers in Irish Sea

5 August 2015

A MAJOR investigation is underway to determine the cause of a collision in the Irish Sea in which an Ardglass trawler sank in 10 minutes.

The Silver Dee sank at 5.35am on Wednesday morning just minutes after colliding with the Good Intent, also from Ardglass, around 13 nautical miles off the Co Down coast.

The five crew members of the stricken trawler escaped uninjured and were able to step from their crippled vessel onto the Good Intent whose skipper manoeuvred alongside after the accident.

The investigation, launched by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, will focus on how the Silver Dee crashed into the Good Intent in broad daylight with good visibility and calm weather.

The Good Intent had reached its fishing grounds and had stopped to prepare to shoot its nets. Minutes later the Silver Dee crashed into the stationary trawler whose helmsman desperately tried to avoid a collision by going hard astern. 

The Silver Dee struck the Good Intent on the port side about ten feet from the bow.

Survivors of the collision said the bow of the Silver Dee “just opened up” giving the crewmen just minutes to make their escape onto the Good Intent.

A mayday broadcast was made by the Good Intent at 5.25am and was received by the regional Coastguard headquarters in Bangor which launched Newcastle’s all weather lifeboat after the Good Intent reported it was taking on water.

However, the crew of the trawler managed to stem the leak and the lifeboat escorted the vessel back to Ardglass where it arrived just after 8.30am.

News of the accident spread quickly in Ardglass and family members of the crew waited with other fishermen and fisheries officials to welcome home the Good Intent and the five rescued crew members from the Silver Dee.

Members of South Down Coastguard team was also sent to Ardglass. No-one required medical treatment after the accident.

South Down MP, Margaret Ritchie, said it was extremely fortunate that the accident did not result in tragedy as is so often the case.”This has highlighted once again the serious risks that our fishermen take everyday,” she said.

“Investigating this incident must be a priority to ensure something like this can be avoided in the future. I will offer every assistance I can to the crews and their families.”

Ardglass councillor Dermot Curran was also thankful that all the crew members were rescued without injury.

“Ardglass has suffered its share of tragedy and thank goodness this incident did not end up more tragically,” he said.