Tragedy of young fisherman (From Dorset Echo)

Tragedy of young fisherman

2:53pm Tuesday 8th April 2008 in Search

FISHERMAN Peter Lynham died after becoming entangled in a line of lobster pots on his father's fishing boat and dragged overboard, an inquest was told.

A tearful Robert Lynham told the inquest into his brother's death that he looked away for one moment as they worked together aboard the Portland Isle vessel in December 2006 but that when he looked back Peter was disappearing over the side.

West Dorset coroner Michael Johnston told jurors the body of Peter David Lynham, aged 20, of Sweet Hill Road, Portland, was never recovered and that the exact cause of his death could not be determined.

Professional fisherman Paul Lynham said he and his boys had gone out early in the morning but decided to only set four lines of lobster pots because of bad weather.

Mr Lynham said he was in the wheelhouse of the boat while Robert and Peter, who were wearing waterproofs but not lifejackets, were laying the last line of pots off the stern.

The inquest was told how Peter's foot became entangled in the line and dragged him overboard, causing Robert to call to his dad.

Mr Lynham said: "I think he'd already gone down 30 or 40 metres before we got near him.

"With the weather conditions and generally with the water at the time it was obviously going to take him down."

The inquest heard Robert and Paul Lynham retracted the line immediately but recovered nothing more than one of Peter's Wellington boots.

Mr Lynham also told the inquest that he knew of several cases in which life jackets had been a hindrance to fishermen who had gone overboard but that he now insisted on his employees wearing them.

He added: "I don't think it was going to save Peter's life but it probably would have got the body back to us."

Robert Lynham said he thought his brother must have become entangled after stepping over the lobster pot line while it was on the deck.

Robert said: "It was rough weather but not anything we hadn't worked in before."

He added that he looked away for a split second and looked back to see Peter being dragged off the boat, entangled in the line.

Mr Johnston asked: "Did you see Peter do anything different that day that he hadn't done hundreds of times before?"

Robert replied that he had not.

PC Michael Holman told the inquest he assisted in the search from Custom House Quay, Weymouth, after receiving a call and that the search operation also involved Royal Naval vessels.

He said the weather had been rough and that the wind was 'strong and getting stronger' on the day in question.

PC Holman said he spoke to Paul and Robert Lynham when they were back on shore and that they were both 'very distressed and shocked'.

Mr Johnston, reading a letter from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), said the branch recommends that all fishermen wear life jackets but understands that many do not.

The letter also confirmed the branch felt there was no need to launch a full investigation into the case.

Mr Johnston advised jurors that because Peter Lynham's body was never found no-one could determine exactly what the cause of his death was.

After deliberating, the jury recorded a narrative verdict that Peter Lynham was lost overboard from the Portland Isle vessel while lobster pot fishing after accidentally becoming entangled in the line on December 12, 2006 and died as a result of immersion in sea water.

Mr Johnston offered his 'most sincere sympathy' to the family and reiterated the MAIB's call for all fishermen to wear life jackets.

Talking to directly to Peter's family, he said: "You described him as a very quiet person, very determined and I'm impressed by that.

"I can only begin to imagine and don't understand what it's like to have this happen in front of you."

He urged the family to now 'move forward' from the tragedy.