Fish farm worker drowned after being crushed

An experienced fish farm worker died after he was crushed between a boat and a barge, according to an investigation.

Clive Hendry, 58, had stepped from the deck of the moving boat to the barge's access ladder when the accident happened at a Highlands salmon farm.

A colleague grabbed hold of the back of Mr Hendry's lifejacket, but he slipped out of the jacket and into the sea.

Investigators said his employer did not have an effective marine safety management system in place.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has also made a series of safety recommendations following the accident last February.

Mowi Scotland - Mr Hendry's employer - said it had immediately implemented the actions required of it.

Mr Hendry's partner Catriona Lockhart said he had been good at his job and had loved being at sea, spending much of his spare time fishing.

She said: "It is just devastating to me to think he had the most horrific death."

Mr Hendry was assistant manager at salmon company Mowi Scotland's Ardintoul fish farm on Loch Alsh, near Kyle of Lochalsh.

He was being taken on the workboat, Beinn Na Caillich, to the salmon feed barge to have his lunch after finishing work treating a salmon cage.

The boat's skipper was preparing to align his craft with the barge when Mr Hendry stepped through an open gate on the deck to the ladder and was crushed.

A technician on the barge spotted Mr Hendry hanging from the ladder and grabbed hold of the strap at the back of his lifejacket.

Mr Hendry told the technician he could not use or feel his legs, according to the MAIB report.

Shortly after, Mr Hendry lost his grip on the ladder and slipped out of his oilskin jacket and lifejacket, which was not fastened at the crotch straps, and fell into the water.

The technician was left holding the items at the top of the ladder.

Mr Hendry's work colleagues managed to get him out of the sea but, despite the "determined efforts" of them and the emergency services, he died.

The report said Mr Hendry had worked in the fish farming industry for more than 20 years was regarded as a hard-working member of his team who was respected for his experience.

The MAIB investigation concluded the conduct of the boat transfer had not been properly planned or briefed and was not adequately supervised or controlled.

It said among the key safety issues identified were the boat's crew not being fully prepared to deal with an emergency situation, or having conducted regular drills on dealing with a person who had fallen overboard.

The MAIB also said Mowi Scotland did not have "an effective marine safety management system and lacked staff with the experience to oversee its marine operations".

The MAIB has recommended that the company apply required standards on the operation of workboats to all its boats, fully implement a safety management system across its fleet, as well as ensuring it has appropriate marine expertise to oversee its work at sea.

Ms Lockhart, who has been working with health and safety charity Scottish Hazards, described her partner as a "fun loving, generous and kind guy, who would do anything to help anybody".

She said: "He loved his job, loved fishing, loved animals.

"He was just praying for the day he could retire and do his fishing."

A spokesman for Mowi said: "Clive had been a truly valued member of our team for 12 years and we all continue to be deeply affected by his death.

"Our sympathies go to Clive's family, friends and colleagues.

"As detailed in the MAIB accident report, preventative actions were immediately implemented and we are now reviewing the learnings from this report that include two recommendations made by the MAIB."