Life jackets helped anglers avoid death after fire on boat

THREE Cork anglers narrowly escaped death after their small fishing boat caught fire and sank in Cork Harbour last July.

A report by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board said it was “fortunate” that all three survivors had been wearing personal flotation devices after they dived into choppy waters to escape the fire on their vessel.

The three men — Jerry O’Sullivan, Jerry Walsh and Alan O’Mahony — had left Aghada pier on the evening of July 21 last for a fishing trip.

The fire broke out on board their 21ft boat, Jem, shortly after 8pm when it was located close to Fort Carlisle at the entrance to Cork Harbour.

Marine investigators noted the crew had switched to an auxiliary outboard engine after the boat’s main engine began overheating while they were fishing off Roches Point.

However, the outboard motor fell into the water and stopped after its supporting bracket broke off. The main engine exploded and proceeded to blow out smoke and flames shortly after it was restarted.

Mr Walsh jumped immediately overboard followed by Mr O’Mahony, while Mr O’Sullivan, the boat’s owner, remained on the vessel until he too was forced to dive into the water after the fire spread.

A mayday alarm was raised by a nearby yacht, Kilteaky, which alerted the Crosshaven lifeboat to the danger.

MCIB inspectors said petrol from the outboard engine had flowed out on the boat after it was retrieved from the water. The petrol fumes then caused the main engine to accelerate and overheat which was sufficient to ignite the petrol and set the boat ablaze.

The naval vessel, LÉ Aisling, which arrived on the scene, reported that the boat sank at 9.46pm.

In a letter to accident investigators, Mr Walsh praised the crews of three boats in their vicinity who raised the alarm and pulled them out of the water as well as canoeist Paddy O’Donovan from Cobh, who paddled alongside the drifting anglers, and the Crosshaven lifeboat crew.

“We were very lucky and I cannot emphasise enough that our life jackets played such an important role in our safe recovery,” said Mr Walsh.