Young fisherman died at sea after being struck by pulley equipment

A young fisherman died after he was struck by a piece of pulley equipment while working on board a Belgian-registered trawler off the coast of Salcombe, an inquest has heard.

The brief public hearing was held by area coroner Alison Longhorn on August 15 at Devon Coroner's court, now located in Exeter's county hall. She sated that Michael Hubert, aged 23 was born in Oostende, Belgium and was a married fisherman at the time of his passing.

She said he was working on board the Stormvogel trawler on December 19, 2023, in international waters around 27 nautical miles south west of Salcombe at the time of the incident which led to his death.

Ms Longhorn said Mr Hubert was struck by a piece of pulley equipment. The coastguard were alerted and attended but Mr Hubert was pronounced deceased on the boat. His body was later landed at the Salcombe lifeboat station.

The medical cause of death was given as blunt injury to the head, neck and chest. She adjourned the hearing and a full inquest will take place at a later date.

READ NEXT:

Bulldozed sports centre goes up for sale

Devon builder denies multiple rogue trading charges

According to reports from industry website, the Fishing Daily the fishing boat is part of the Flemish Fisheries Cooperative in Ostend. There were five people on board at the time of the accident. One report stated that Mr Hubert was a father of two young daughters.

A later report from the Fishing Daily revealed that just one month after the death of Mr Hubert, the boat's skipper, 37-year-old Dave Orban took his own life. The site gave more details about the circumstances leading up to the death of Mr Hubert stating the he and another fisherman were working together, repairing nets after a tear.

In January this year the site explained that while working "a safety line unexpectedly snapped. This resulted in the part to which the nets were attached crashing down, proving fatal for Michael Hubert, a father of two daughters, who succumbed on the spot. His colleague Ilir Devick sustained serious injuries and is currently undergoing recovery in a rehabilitation centre."

The original report by Laurens Kindt of Belgian news publisher KW noted that the initial incident prompted investigations from both English authorities and the Belgian Work Welfare Supervision Service.

It continued: "Skipper Dave Orban (37), visibly distressed upon their return, stated, 'Before departure in Belgium, we had checked everything, as is standard procedure. Everything was in order. We don’t understand how this could have happened. We did everything we were supposed to do; no one could have prevented this.'

"Despite assertions that all safety protocols were followed, Dave, also a father of two daughters, grappled with a profound sense of responsibility for the accident. 'As a skipper, you bear the responsibility for your men on board your ship. Of course, I feel guilty,' he confessed.

"This overwhelming guilt took a toll on Dave in the following weeks, culminating in an unbearable burden. On Monday evening last, 22 January, the skipper’s lifeless body was discovered; he had taken his own life.

"The owner of the 0-51 Stormvogel, VVC Equipment, expressed profound sorrow over the skipper’s death, stating, “This is not a colleague we lose but a brother. That goes for the entire crew. They are not just colleagues; they are family.” The owner emphasised the importance of collective processing of grief, highlighting the close-knit nature of life on board where crew members spend 24 hours a day together, sharing both joys and sorrows.

"However, collective coping became challenging due to the ongoing investigation. The ship remained docked, and the crew was prohibited from sailing or even boarding. The vessel was sealed, and extensive interrogations took an emotional toll on everyone. Dave, in particular, struggled with these interrogations. The crew contends that the relentless focus on assigning blame for the accident neglected the well-being of the crew. Instead of solely seeking a culprit, they argue that authorities should have supported the crew in their grieving process."

Want the latest Devon breaking news and top stories first? Click here to join our WhatsApp group. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice