Dead crew had no lifejackets on

Hendrik Vlietinck was the only survivor from the four-man crew

Three crew members of a Belgian fishing vessel who died when it capsized off East Sussex might have survived if they had been wearing lifejackets.

An inquiry into the sinking of the Noordster off Beachy Head found none of the four crew were wearing the jackets.

The only survivor of the accident on 13 December was the 19-year-old nephew of the trawler's captain.

"Had the crew been wearing lifejackets their chances of survival would have dramatically improved," a report says.

"Despite the lessons of many previous accidents, fishermen generally remain reluctant to wear lifejackets on deck," the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said.

The skipper's level of fatigue was a significant factor in the cause of the capsize MAIB

The report recommends measures should be taken to raise awareness among fishermen of the need to wear jackets when carrying out hazardous tasks.

The Zeebrugge-registered Noordster Z122 overturned in the busy Channel shipping lane after its nets became snagged.

Survivor Hendrik Vlietinck was spotted by coastguards clinging to the upturned hull of the vessel after spending 15 hours waiting to be rescued.

It was thought another man might be found alive after knocking was heard inside the hull.

But after three dives by a Royal Navy team, the noise was found to be gear hitting the side of the boat.

A merchant ship spotted the fishing boat 11 miles off Beachy Head

The MAIB adds that the trawler's liferaft and its radio beacon were trapped at the time of the capsize.

"That neither of these vital pieces of safety equipment functioned after the vessel capsized is of serious concern," the report says.

The bodies of crew members Patrick Gustave Geryl and Geert Charles Alice Meyers, both 41, were recovered the day after the sinking.

The body of skipper Tom Vlietinck, 35, has never been found.

At the time of the accident, the crew had been at sea for four days and would have been very tired, especially Capt Vlietinck.

"Taking this into account, the MAIB believes that the skipper's level of fatigue was a significant factor in the cause of the capsize," the report said.