An unidentified Royal Navy submarine which snagged the fishing lines of a trawler in the Irish Sea on 15 April 2015 has put the lives of the trawler’s crew in danger, an investigation report has concluded.
Karen was towed backwards and had partially submerged before being released from the submarine when the trawl warps gave way.
The submarine did not surface to render immediate assistance as evidence of the collision on board was either ignored or misinterpreted, the report said.
According to a statement from the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents Steve Clinch, the accident happened because of insufficient passage planning by the submarine’s command team and their failure to follow guidance on fishing vessel avoidance.
Had its trawl warps not parted, it is almost inevitable that Karen would have capsized and sunk, the statement further read.
“The Royal Navy’s Code of Practice for Fishing Vessel Avoidance was created after the loss of the trawler Antares and its crew in 1990; however, it is apparent that lessons learnt after the Antares accident have been lost,” Steve Clinch said.