Belgian fisherman dies in accident off English coast

A 23-year-old Flemish fisherman died in an accident on board a fishing boat off the south coast of England on Tuesday, the Flemish Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services and the Ghent public prosecutor's office said on Wednesday.

The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon on board the O.51 Stormvogel, a fishing boat with a crew of five, near Plymouth in southern England. Initial findings suggest that the victims were buried under several hundred kilograms of fishing equipment.

The 23-year-old man from Bredene, West Flanders, died at the scene. A 27-year-old man from Middelkerke was injured and airlifted to a hospital in Cornwall. The Stormvogel remains docked at Plymouth harbour.

An investigation has been launched by the Labour Prosecutor's Office in Ghent to establish the exact circumstances of the accident. The Federal Bureau for the Investigation of Maritime Accidents has also been informed and will investigate the causes of the incident.

^{#FlandersNewsService | The south coast of England near Plymouth © AFP PHOTO MARCEL MOCHET}