Young Cork fisherman died following 'unfortunate slip or fall,' report indicates
A young fisherman who died on board a trawler after he lost his balance amid poor weather conditions has been named as Desmond (Des) Hurley of Kinsale, Co Cork.
A young crew member on board a fishing vessel died following an “unfortunate common slip or fall” while he was carrying out his work, a Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) report has recorded.
Desmond (Des) Hurley, aged 29, lost his balance whilst on a ladder in the accommodation deck of a family owned fishing vessel, the Breizh Arvor II, on December 14, 2023.
Des, his brother Mark and other crew had been fishing at the Porcupine Bank off the south west coast of Ireland when the accident occurred.
Mark Hurley, who is a brother of the deceased, previously told the Coroner’s Court that he asked Desmond to take over at the wheelhouse at close to midnight on December 13, 2023. Desmond went down stairs to change his jumper.
Mark went looking for his brother when he didn’t come back up from accommodation deck in a matter of minutes. He saw his brother lying on the floor of the accommodation deck. R was istered to no avail.
The MCIB report indicates that the accident appears to have occurred as a result of Mr Hurley “slipping or falling or hitting his head in, or departing from, the accommodation area while following instructions to go to the wheelhouse to take over the watch the watch from the skipper.”
The report further says that circumstantial evidence would indicate that Mr Hurley may have missed one of the steps or slipped, and then fell forward hitting his head on any number of hard surfaces in the small space.
"There was no major features on the deck floor that could be considered to have caused the fall. Regard must be had to the findings of the Coroner that there was ‘strong circumstantial evidence’ that the casualty lost his footing on the ladder, thereby sustaining a neck injury and suffered cardiorespiratory failure.”
The MCIB has recommended that the Minister for Transport circulate a marine notice highlighting the importance of wearing secure footwear at all times on board fishing vessels. They have also asked that owners be advised regarding the dangers of restricted headroom in vessels and the importance of having suitable warning signage at the entrance/exist to spaces with restricted headroom.
The MCIB has also recommended that the HAS review their fishing guidelines literature with a view to adding guidance on footwear and on navigating areas with height and space restrictions.
Meanwhile, the town of Kinsale came to a standstill on December 18, 2023 for the funeral of Mr Hurley.
Des who was from Eltin’s Wood in Kinsale, is survived by his parents Jimmy and Noreen, his siblings Chris, Mark, Jemma and Vikki, his grandparents Christy and Eileen and partner Larissa.
James was a past pupil of Kinsale Community School. He also studied at the BIM fisheries college. He was laid to rest at St Eltin’s cemetery following a funeral mass at St John the Baptist Church in Kinsale.
The cortège stopped off at the pier in Kinsale on the day of the funeral amid poignant scenes. His family undertook fundraising for the emergency services in the months following his death.
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