THE death of a man on a fishing vessel on Tuesday morning was as a result of a tragic accident.
The fisherman, who has been named locally as Moses Odonkor, was working on board the Boy Jason, a 23-metre boat which operates out of Castletownbere.
As a result of the freak accident – which occurred at about 6am – the fisherman suffered an injury, when the crew were shooting their nets, and they were unable to revive him.
The captain of the vessel immediately notified the Coast Guard, who then alerted the gardaí.
Members of the gardaí were in Castletownbere at 2am on Wednesday morning, when the vessel arrived back in to port, and the quay was cordoned off.
A doctor was in attendance and he officially pronounced the 57-year-old fisherman dead, and his body was taken to CUH for a post-mortem examination.
At 8am, the gardaí, the marine casualty investigation unit, and members of the health and safety authority conducted an examination of the vessel, as happens with all workplace fatalities.
Niall Duffy, a trustee of the Lost at Sea Tragedies (LAST) charity, expressed their deepest sympathy to the family and the crew members.
‘It is a tragic loss of life of a well-liked and respected fisherman,’ said Niall, who said their charity, and others, are there to provide emotional and financial support to the family if needed.
Moses is originally from Ghana but is well-known since he, his wife Philomena, and their children moved to West Cork and made a home for themselves in Skibbereen.
The family were struck by another tragedy two years ago, when their youngest son, Joshua (2), died tragically when he choked on a grape.
The level of kindness and support extended to the couple, and their son Emmanuel, at that time was remarkable, especially when it was arranged for Philomena’s sister, Ruth, to come to West Cork as emotional support for the family.
A group of friends – known to the family through the children’s school – as well as thoughtful neighbours, formed a cocoon around them.
A member of that group, told The Southern Star: ‘We are here to offer ongoing support to the family.’
Speaking on behalf of the Castletownbere Fishermen’s Co-operative, John Nolan said: ‘We, as a community, are devastated.
‘Moses was a crew man on the boat for eight years and was really well-liked, and a great worker.’
‘Losing people to a tragedy affects the whole community. We have had many tragedies over the years,’ he added, ‘and it doesn’t get any easier.’
‘This is a very difficult time for the family and anything that we can do for them would be utmost in our thinking,’ he said.
