On 9/4/2019 1, the vessel SHARRON LYNN (Official Number 347082) was involved in a person seriously injured or killed - boarding, being on board, falling overboard from the ship in Polly Point, BRITISH COLUMBIA (BC).

The vessel, with 0 persons on board, experienced the incident while engaged in regular operations. Fortunately, the ship was able to continue its voyage. No injuries or fatalities were reported, and there was none pollution.

This incident was officially recorded by Transport Canada on 9/4/2019 1. Weather at the time was reported as clear with winds from the S at 10.00 knots.

M19P0221 (Sharron Lynn) Class 5 Summary
On 04 September 2019, it was reported that only person on board the 9.7 m gill-net fishing vessel Sharron Lynn was reported to have fallen overboard in Alberni Harbour, British Columbia. Several other fishing vessel operators retrieved the operator from the water and initiated CPR. The operator was transferred to Emergency Health Services where he was declared deceased.
At the time of the occurrence, there was an on-going DFO approved gill-net fishery for Chinook salmon at the head of Alberni Inlet. The fishing was productive and approximately 120 vessels were congested at the mouth of the Somass River. As is typical for Alberni Inlet there was an inflow breeze of approximately 15 knots and small wavelets at the time of the occurrence. The Sharron Lynn was drifting towards other fishing vessels requiring the operator to pick up about 75% of his gill-net in order to reposition the vessel, reset the net and continue to fish.
After picking up a large portion of the net the operator put the vessel in gear, turned the wheel to port and began resetting the net. Shortly afterward, a nearby fisherman heard the operator yelling for help and saw him struggling on the back deck in an attempt to stop the vessel or stop the net from setting. The fisherman then witnessed the operator pulled over board by the setting net. The operator, without the aid of a personal floatation device, hung onto the net’s corkline while the vessel continued to make a slow port turn.
The nearby fisherman responded immediately by moving his vessel towards the Sharron Lynn’s net and the operator. Just as the fisherman arrived alone side the net and attempted to secure to it, the net and operator were pulled beneath the surface. By this time the Sharron Lynn had completed a 180° turn and ran over its own net which forced the corkline and the operator below the surface of the water.
The Sharron Lynn’s engine stalled once it became entangled in the net but the corkline and operator remained below the surface of the water. The fisherman then proceeded to haul the Sharron Lynn’s net but was unable to haul enough net to get to the operator given the amount of fish in the net. Other fishermen and vessels arrived on scene to assist with the attempts to retrieve the net and the operator. About 15-20 minutes later the operator was retrieved from the water and CPR was initiated as the operator was transported to the dock and emergency health services.
Notes
• WorksafeBC conducted a full investigation
• The vessel was well-maintained, clean and organized
• The hold to run drum mechanism functioned correctly
• No automatic engine kill switch
• No personal flotation device in use
• Controls to engage the drum and engine controls are not accessible from the setting location
• Operator was not carrying a knife at the time of the occurrence
• Operator was the only person on board which is normal for about 66% if the gill-net fleet