Experienced Fisherman Dies of Hypothermia in English Channel Rescue

Last weekend, an experienced fisherman went over the side of a commercial trawler in the English Channel and died of hypothermia, according to local media.

Glenn Vandewalle, 50, was a lifelong fisherman and a crewmember aboard the beam trawler Jerki Z-45. On Saturday, the vessel was operating about 12 nautical miles off Eastbourne, England in rough weather when Vandewalle fell over the side. 

His crewmates initiated a rescue and called the UK Coastguard for help. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station in Eastborne received the call just before midnight and quickly dispatched their volunteer-crewed response boat, the Esme Anderson, to join the search.

The Jerki's crew conducted their own search pattern for Vandewalle, though they were hampered by onboard mechanical troubles. In darkness, driving rain and waves of up to 12 feet, the small trawler's crew managed to find the helmsman in the water. They recovered him aboard the vessel, but he succumbed to hypothermia. 

The RNLI lifeboat stood down and returned to its station once the Jerki had Vandewalle aboard; the trawler returned to port at Oostende, Belgium to deliver the victim's body to shore. 

The public prosecutor's office in West Flanders, Belgium has started an investigation into how Vandewalle went over the side, but at this point officials are treating the casualty as an accident, according to The Fishing Daily. 

Jerki's operating company, Aude Audenda, issued a brief statement commemorating Vandewalle's life and expressing sympathy for his loved ones. "Out of respect for the family and our crew, we want to let them process this tragic accident in peace," the firm said. "We can only stress that Glenn was a well-liked and experienced fisherman, a fisherman through and through."