FV BREIZH ARVOR II

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Inquest: Cork fisherman died after falling off ladder in 'one in a million' accident'

Desmond (Des) Hurley, 29, a crew membe rof the the 'Breizh Arvor II', fell off a ladder on Dec 14, 2023, fracturing his upper neck, which led to cardiac arrest and instant death, an inquest has heard. The Coroner’s Court in Bantry, Co Cork, heard he lost his balance while on a ladder in the accommodation deck of the family-owned fishing vessel. The ship had been fishing at the Porcupine Bank off the southwest coast of Ireland when the accident occurred. Coroner Frank O’Connell said unfortunately, it was a case “of lightning striking”, leading to a “one in a million death.” Mark Hurley, who is a brother of the deceased, said he asked Desmond to take over at the wheelhouse at close to midnight on Dec 13. Desmond went downstairs to change his jumper. Mark went looking for his brother when he did not come back up from the accommodation deck in a matter of minutes. He went looking for him in the accommodation deck and saw his brother lying on the floor. He and another crew member administered CPR on Des, but to no avail. Des had sustained a mark on his forehead. Mark, in his role as skipper, instructed the crew to haul in their nets so they could return back to shore. Mark contacted the Valentia Coastguard. He then called Medico to speak to a nurse. The crew member Haralambie Floren said he had experience in first aid and assisted Mark with CPR on Des, however, the administering of CPR was difficult because of sea swells. Sergeant Stephen O’Sullivan, who was on duty at Castletownbere Garda Station onthat day, said they were informed a death had occurred at sea. The fishing vessel returned to Castletownbere the same evening. Having accessed the scene, his opinion was Des probably slipped on a step as he made his way back up the timber stairs of the accommodation deck, having retrieved his jumper. Des possibly hit his head off the door frame of the room. Scenes of crimes investigators assessed the scene as a formality as there was no suggestion of anything untoward having happened. The Marine Casualty Board and the HSE were contacted as a matter of course. Dr Margaret Bolster carried out an autopsy on the body of Mr Hurley at the morgue in Cork City and found he sustained a fracture of the upper neck bone. She indicated the injury had caused Des’s heart to stop. In conclusion, coroner Frank O’Connell noted there was “strong circumstantial evidence” Des lost his footing on the ladder, sustained a neck injury and suffered cardio respiratory failure, concluding the death had occurred as a result of “extreme bad luck”.

Disabled trawler towed to Castletownbere

The lifeboat crew of the RMLI station in Castletownbere launched in the afternoon of Sep 4, 2019, to assist the "Breizh Arvor II - C 436" which had lost all power four miles west of the Bull Rock in West Cork. The lifeboat was tasked by Valentia Coastguard Radio shortly after 1 p.m. The trawler with a crew of five on board was adrift four miles west of the Bull Rock in a 5 metre swell and NW winds of force 7-8. The lifeboat located the vessel at 2.20 p.m. Once on the scene, the lifeboat crew quickly took the vessel under tow and started a slow passage back to Castletownbere. The fishing vessel was berthed safely at the pier at 8.45 p.m., almost eight hours after the alert. Report with photos: https://www.southernstar.ie/news/roundup/articles/2019/09/05/4179186-castletownbere-rnli-crew-tows-fishing-vessel-to-safety-after-it-loses-power-near-bull-rock-/