Official report into Joanna C ship tragedy off Newhaven

Ship's mate Robert Morley was flung into the cold water when the Joanna C capsized off the coast of Newhaven.

The captain, David Bickerstaff, found him in the water and the pair were able to see "the lights of other fishing vessels nearby".

But before he could be rescued, Robert "succumbed to the cold and drifted away, leaving the skipper holding on to the lifebuoy".

David was pulled from the sea hours later, the sole survivor of the tragedy, which also claimed the life of deckhand Adam Harper.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found that there had been a life raft on the ship but it did not inflate, which "adversely affected the survivability of the crew".

Robert Morley was "thrown into the water" after the boat tilted

The MAIB report explains how the scallop dredger got into difficulty in the early hours of November 21, 2020, after getting snagged on a line of whelk pots. 

After Robert was thrown into the water, David and Adam became trapped in the bunk room for around 40 minutes.

Just before 6am, David started to notice the ship sinking and opened an escape hatch, telling Adam they needed to get out.

One of the whelk pots recovered. Picture from MAIB

David managed to escape the sinking ship but Adam remained trapped inside as it went down.

The report said: "When the vessel started to sink, the skipper was able to escape, which was fortunate given the darkness and likely obstructions in his path.

"However, the deckhand remained trapped.

"Once the vessel had begun to sink water ingress to the crew accommodation was likely rapid, denying the deckhand any opportunity to escape."

Survey image of the wreck courtesy of Trinity House

David found Robert in the water and the pair were together for a period of time before the ship's mate died.

The report said: "The mate was tangled in an orange rope attached to the lifebuoy and was very cold.

"While attempting to untangle the mate, his lifejacket was removed and was lost.

"The consequent loss of dexterity and useful movement in his arms and legs meant that he could not maintain his hold on the lifebuoy, which was his only means of support following the loss of his personal flotation device.

A life jacket recovered from Newhaven beach. The report states it is probable that the life jacket "worn by the mate was the only one not trapped inside the vessel when it capsized"

"Without support, the mate’s ability to maintain his head and airway above the water was lost and he likely slipped below the surface and drowned."

It is not known how long Robert was in the water before he died. 

The report estimates it could have been anywhere up to 3 hours 45 minutes after the boat capsized.

"After one hour in the water, the mate was within the window for exhaustion, unconsciousness, and death from hypothermia," the report continued. 

Picture courtesy of Joanna C's owner

"Without the support afforded by a personal floatation device or the shelter of a life raft, his chances of survival were significantly reduced."

After the Joanna C got into difficulty, the boat's emergency radio activated, alerting the coastguard.

A massive search operation was launched and David was eventually pulled from the water by rescuers at around 8.50am.

The body of 26-year-old Adam was found by divers five days later.

Robert’s body was found washed up near Bexhill the following month.

Earlier this year, his family told The Argus that they could "not have closure" until the MAIB report was published.