Skipper tried to rescue crewman

The trawler man fell off the New Dawn boat while in the North Sea

The skipper of a fishing boat managed to grab hold of an overboard crewman before having to let him go, a fishermen's mission has said.

The crew member of the New Dawn, which is believed to be based in Fraserburgh, fell into the North Sea after shooting the boat's fishing gear.

Charles Bruce dived in after the Filipino, but was unable to get him to take hold of a lifebelt.

Rescuers have called off a search of an area 50 miles east of Wick.

Details of the incident - which happened at 2300 BST on Wednesday - have been revealed in a statement issued by the Fishermen's Mission in Fraserburgh.

Charles had to let him go as he himself was going under Fishermen's Mission statement

It said the lost fisherman was in his second year on the vessel which had been featured on the BBC's Trawlermen documentary series.

The statement said: "After shooting the nets he went overboard whilst holding the gear.

"Co-skipper Martin Bruce said if he had still held on to the wire they could have taken him back on board but he let go and fell into the water.

"His brother Charles dived in and managed to get hold of him and tried unsuccessfully to get him to take hold of the lifebelt.

"Although the crew member had a survival jacket on he was sadly lost.

"Charles had to let him go as he himself was going under."

Charles Bruce was airlifted to hospital for treatment for hypothermia.

Boat fire

A search for the missing fisherman was co-ordinated by Aberdeen Coastguard.

The Shetland Coastguard helicopter and a helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth had been involved.

The incident comes after three crewmen died in a fishing boat fire at Fraserburgh Harbour earlier this month.

Rimants Venckus, 50, from Latvia, and Filipinos Ramilito Capangpangan Calipayan and Benjamin Rosello Potot, both 33, died on Friday 1 August.

They were on board the prawn trawler Vision II.