Fisherman died after rope tangle pulled him overboard

A deckhand on a fishing boat died after he became entangled in a creel rope and was pulled overboard, investigators have said.

The accident happened while the boat, Kingfisher, was deploying shellfish creels into the sea off Wick, Caithness, on 12 July.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found he had inadvertently threaded a toggle - an attachment on a creel - through a loop on his lifejacket before connecting this toggle to the rope.

The MAIB said the loop on the deckhand's personal flotation device was a snagging hazard, and it has issued safety advice to the fishing industry.

The investigation heard that crew members had pulled the deckhand back on board the Kingfisher with seven minutes, but they were unable to revive him.

Lifeboat volunteers, a coastguard helicopter paramedic and the crew of a ship at an offshore wind farm assisted in the rescue efforts.