Two fishermen are thankful to be alive after their trawler sank in the Irish Sea, according to sources in England. Skipper Stephen Kearney and another fisherman had to jump overboard after their ship caught fire. The pair were rescued by another vessel approximately 12 miles off the coast of Kilkeel.

The men were airlifted to a hospital. Maurice Lake of Kilkeel’s Fisherman’s Mission  said that both men were stable and able to leave the hospital later that same day.

“Obviously they are shocked but thankfully they are back home now with their wives and families,” said Lake. “It was a fairly scary situation but they knew how to proceed and were picked up by a passing vessel before the lifeboat arrived.”

The accident remains under investigation, and the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

“This incident has again proved the importance of wearing a life jacket and having it maintained to a high standard,” says Gary Young of the Belfast Coast Guard.

It is important for fishing vessels to be maintained and supplied with proper safety equipment, such as life jackets and fire extinguishers. A thorough investigation of this accident is necessary to determine if any party was negligent in this incident. Latti & Anderson LLP has recovered damages for individuals injured in fishing accidents similar to this. Please contact our firm for a free consultation.

Latti & Anderson LLP—Boston maritime trial lawyers.