Lone fisherman drowned after getting tangled in 'perfect knot'

A fatal accident inquiry is to be held into the death of a lone fisherman who was dragged overboard after getting caught in a rope, and drowned.

Hugh MacLachlan, 58, was fishing on his boat Nista when the incident occurred west of the Isle of Luing in Scotland on 13 December 2023.

A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report published last summer said the skipper's ankle became trapped in the back rope of the fishing gear he was using.

Mr MacLachlan was pulled overboard and underwater by the equipment and drowned.

The unmanned boat continued to motor away and grounded three hours later on a shoal to the north of Belnahua.

Mr MacLachlan's body was later recovered entangled in the back rope attached to creel - baskets used to catch fish - with his ankle caught in what was described as the "perfect knot".

The MAIB said the accident highlighted the "persistent and enduring hazard that the dangers of creel and potting operations continue to pose to the lives of fishermen".

As Mr MacLachlan was acting in the course of his employment as a self-employed fisherman in Scotland, and within the territorial jurisdiction of Argyll and Bute's Oban Sheriff Court, a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) is mandatory.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has lodged a first notice to begin the court process, with a preliminary hearing to be held at Oban Sheriff Court on 29 May.

The FAI will determine Mr MacLachlan's cause of death; the circumstances in which it occurred; and to establish what reasonable precautions, if any, could have been taken and could be implemented to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.

Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are inquisitorial in nature and are used to establish facts rather than to apportion blame.

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Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on death investigations for COPFS, said: "The death of Hugh MacLachlan occurred while in the course of his employment and as such a fatal accident inquiry is mandatory.

"The lodging of the first notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the sheriff.

"Mr MacLachlan's family will continue to be kept informed of significant developments as court proceedings progress."

(c) Sky News 2026: Lone fisherman drowned after getting tangled in 'perfect knot'