Fisherman Feared Dead After Boat Sinks in English Channel

A fisherman is now feared dead after the boat he was working on collided with a ship and sank in the English Channel.  The accident Sunday happened at night in clear conditions in northern France.  The British registered 50ft crabbing vessel sank 20 miles off the coast of Cherbourg.

It is believed that the missing man, a 21-year-old from Teignmouth in Devon, was not wearing a lifejacket and experts said he would only have been able to survive for about an hour.

Three of the four-man crew made it safely to a liferaft.  Surviving crewmembers suffered cuts and bruises.  The captain was below deck when the accident happened and had to swim out through a flooded cabin to escape.  The survivors were taken to France and are recovering in a hospital.

The vessel which hit the fishing boat did not stop, and so investigators are left stumped as to why the collision happened.

Four years ago a crew member was lost from the same vessel.

As maritime personal injury lawyers, experienced in handling Jones Act and offshore injury claims for over 40 years, we strongly recommend that all workers on fishing boats to wear lifejackets.

If you or someone you know needs legal assistance, call upon lawyers who routinely handle cases for injured seamen and their families.  Contact the admirable legal team of Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers today. We have handled multi-million dollar cases worldwide for decades.