Independent board to study deaths at sea

An independent marine casualty investigation board is to be established shortly, the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, promised yesterday when he published the official report into the loss of the west Cork fishing vessel, Exodus.

The skipper of the Castletownbere-based vessel, Danny O'Driscoll, drowned in the incident, which occurred on March 9th, 1997. The report exonerates Mr O'Driscoll and says the Exodus sank when a British-registered Spanish fishing vessel, the Sea Horse, collided with it while trying to overtake it.

All three on board were picked up by the Sea Horse after the collision - the two deckhands, who were in a life-raft, and Mr O'Driscoll, who was in the water. He was airlifted to Cork University Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The master of the Sea Horse appeared before Bantry District Court on April 11th, 1997, charged with an infringment of collision regulations. He pleaded guilty and was fined £750, with £250 costs. The official report by the Department of the Marine's Marine Survey Office found that the Sea Horse was on autopilot when it was attempting to overtake the Exodus.

Mr Fahey yesterday said he expected to be in a position to establish the new independent marine casualty investigation board shortly. It would have enhanced powers to investigate marine casualties.