FISHERMAN RESCUED AFTER FALLING OVERBOARD OFF DORSET COAST


A fisherman has been rescued from the water after he slipped and fell overboard whilst fishing off Osmington.
 
Portland Coastguard was alerted at 12.45 this lunchtime by another fisherman that just happened to be passing nearby at the time and noticed someone in difficulty. The man was pulled out of the water and taken to Weymouth Harbour. The Wyke Coastguard Rescue Team was sent to the scene to assist.
 
The fisherman, who was alone, slipped whilst putting out gear and fell over the side.  He had been in the water for some time and was showing signs of hypothermia. The water temperature at the time was 8.2C. He was taken to Dorset County Hospital.
 
Dominic Lonsdale, Watch Manager at Portland Coastguard, said:

"This man was very lucky to have been spotted and rescued by another fishing vessel, particularly with the cold water temperature.”
 
"The man was wearing a two-piece flotation suit which aided his survival. We always recommend that commercial fishermen wear a lifejacket, personal flotation device or lifeline whilst working on the deck of a vessel at sea."

 
* Two short films have been made to encourage fishermen to wear lifejackets. They can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXVIafH_JgQ and http://youtu.be/shrIW8zqSqo
* The Fishing Industry Safety Group (FISG), which is chaired by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, recognises the importance of fishermen wearing working lifejackets or personal flotation devices (PFDs) when working on the open decks of fishing boats and is seeking to nurture a culture shift where this becomes normal practice.

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