Grimsby fishermen ‘fortunate not to be killed’ in bomb explosion
A fishing crew who set sail from Grimsby were “fortunate not to be killed” when their boat was thrown about by the blast from a World War Two bomb, according to the latest report.
The 15m vessel was fishing off the Norfolk coast when the line disturbed an unexploded bomb on the seabed.
The incident happened on 15 December 2020.
Five crew members were injured as a result.
Several were left with life-changing injuries. One was left blinded in one eye.
Now, a report issued by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) gas said their preparedness “saved lives”.
“Although the physical injuries were significant to five of the seven crew, they were fortunate not to be killed,” the report continued.
“The crew member working on the starboard side of the main deck could have been ejected overboard.
“It is likely that Galwad-Y-Mor crew’s formal training, emergency drills, and combined length of onboard service prepared them to deal with this unforeseen emergency scenario and enabled them to take swift action that, undoubtedly, saved lives.”
A fragment of metal recovered from the scene suggested “with a high degree of certainty” that the bomb was a German air-dropped high-explosive.
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