Safety report reveals severe weather contributed to loss of fishing vessel near Nova Scotia, Canada

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) recently released its investigation report into a rescue operation of a fishing vessel that resulted in injuries to two Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) personnel and the death of one fishing vessel crewmember near Canso, Nova Scotia, on March 11, 2022.

On the evening (local time) of the said date, the fishing vessel Mucktown Girl, with five people on board, experienced electrical problems and contacted the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax, NS. The next morning, the CCG icebreaker CCGS Jean Goodwill arrived on-scene where the fishing vessel had no power.

With a storm in the forecast, the decision was made to tow the disabled vessel. The investigation found the fishing vessel had not been assessed as being in imminent distress, therefore the crew remained on board as the vessel was towed.

Six hours into the operation, the tow failed due to the high towing speed, the harsh weather conditions, and the towing arrangement. There were no contingency plans to re-establish the tow or to remove the crew from Mucktown Girl.

The master of Mucktown Girl reported to the master of Jean Goodwill that the vessel was managing in the sea conditions and the crew remained on the drifting vessel to weather the storm.

On the morning of March 13, the weather conditions significantly deteriorated, with waves of eight to 10 metres and winds up to 49 knots. The fishing vessel began taking on water.

The crew donned immersion suits and abandoned the vessel into their liferaft without informing the CCG vessel. As a result of the difficult environmental conditions, two crewmembers on the CCG vessel were injured while preparing for the rescue.

Communications further broke down between the two vessels, affecting the coordination of the rescue operation. Four crewmembers from Mucktown Girl boarded the CCG vessel from the water, while one was swept away. He was recovered from the water and was later pronounced dead.

The investigation found that without comprehensive contingency planning for towing disabled vessels, risks to rescuers as well as crews of vessels under tow may be increased.

The TSB said this occurrence raises concerns related to systemic safety issues identified on the TSB Watchlist. Commercial fishing safety has been on the TSB Watchlist since 2010, and will remain there until there are sufficient indications that a sound safety culture has taken root throughout the industry and in fishing communities across the country.