Lost fisherman search called off

A search for a fishermen lost overboard in the North Sea has been called off by the coastguard.

The 28-year-old deckhand on the Osprey III fell into the water five miles north of Macduff, Aberdeenshire, at about 1900 GMT on Wednesday.

Aberdeen Coastguard said it had no plans to resume the search but local fishing boats had continued looking for the Filipino.

It is believed the missing man was not wearing a life jacket.

"The industry will be working closely with the relevant authorities to determine how the accident happened and what lessons can be learned"

The search initially involved two lifeboats, an RAF helicopter and several fishing boats.

The coastguard said weather conditions were quite calm at the time the man fell off the Banff-registered boat.

Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF), said: "This is a terrible tragedy and our immediate thoughts are with the family, friends and fellow crew members of the man lost overboard.

"Safety is always a top priority on a fishing vessel, but it is an inherently dangerous profession, given the nature of everyday operations in often very difficult conditions.

"The industry will be working closely with the relevant authorities to determine how the accident happened and what lessons can be learned."

He added: "The Marine Accident Investigation Branch will be conducting an investigation into this sad incident and until this is completed it would be inappropriate to comment any further."

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