"I'll be alright. Don't worry I can do it."

Those were the last words of fisherman Darren Brown before he leapt into the sea to untangle a fishing line from the propeller.

But he was swept away from the boat in chilly 13c water and was never found.

Darren was a strong swimmer and had previously untangled another boat in similar circumstances - but a report into his death concluded that he is thought to have taken recreational drugs and his recovery from the water was hindered because a lifebuoy was not readily available.

A series of warnings have now been issued to the fishing industry following the publication of the report.

Speaking to The Argus, Darren's brother Mark said: "Whilst we appreciate the efforts of the crew to save Darren, there was clearly failings in the safety equipment on board and I believe that had they been up to scratch Darren would be here today."

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch found that Darren jumped into the water to try to free the boat Our Sarah Jane despite a warning from his skipper that his "confidence and decision-making" were possibly influenced by his use of amphetamines.

A large quantity of amphetamine powder and some cannabis were found in Darren's belongings after his death.

Another fisherman also risked his life and suffered cold water shock as he leapt into the sea three miles of Newhaven in an attempt to save Darren.

The report concluded: "During the attempt to rescue the deckhand, another member of the crew jumped into the sea, but quickly got into difficulty and had to be recovered back on board the boat.

"Darren went into the water despite the vessel’s skipper instructing him not to do so; and was possibly under the influence of drugs.

"Both crewmen almost certainly suffered from cold water shock.

"His recovery from the water was impeded by the vessel being anchored by its fishing gear and because a lifebuoy attached to a buoyant lifeline was not readily available.

"The second crewman’s entry into the water to assist the deckhand was well intentioned but the risks involved were not properly considered.

"Emergency drills could potentially have improved the response to the fouled propeller and also identified the shortcomings in the availability of the lifebuoys.

"This is the third MAIB investigation since 2014 into a fatal accident during which the use of recreational drugs among fishermen has been identified.

"The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents has brought this to the attention of the Fishing Industry Safety Group, highlighting the need for vigilance.

"A recommendation has been made to the vessel’s owner aimed at ensuring that lifesaving equipment is readily available and improving the crew’s ability to deal effectively with emergency situations."

Darren's brother Mark added: "We just hope people learn from the mistakes that were made and it helps to avoid anything like this happening again in the future."

EXPERIENCED, POPULAR AND KEEN TO MOVE UP

Darren Brown was a popular fisherman.

Friends and crewmates described him as popular and likeable, an experienced deckhand who had been in the job for almost a decade.

His girlfriend Adele Holmes said in the days after he disappeared that he was “brave” and “experienced”.

He had been preparing to train for a step up the ladder as a skipper. Once before he had jumped into the water to free a tangled whelk line and successfully freed a boat.

So he was buoyed up by false confidence on the afternoon of June 9 – a state of mind that may have been added to if he had taken any of the amphetamines found in his belongings on the whelk boat Our Sarah Jane.

The three-man crew had set out from Shoreham in good weather that morning but just before midday the line attached to one of the whelk pots caught in the propeller.

The rope was tying the boat to the seabed. The skipper radioed for help but Darren decided to act assertively.

The report said: “As Our Sarah Jane’s skipper was confirming his vessel’s position, Darren said something along the lines of: “I’ll be all right. I can do it. Don’t worry.”

Then, with a knife in one hand, he jumped overboard. Darren had taken off his oilskins, wellington boots and gloves and was wearing a red T- shirt and grey jogging bottoms.

“Darren was almost immediately shouting for help. The skipper fetched a lifebuoy and the second deckhand tried to encourage Darren to swim back to the boat.

“The skipper tied a length of polysteel mooring rope to the lifebuoy,” the report said.

“He then threw the lifebuoy over the bow towards Darren, who was now approximately 10m ahead of Our Sarah Jane. The lifebuoy fell about 5m short.

“Darren was shouting for help and trying to swim on his back towards the lifebuoy but his efforts appeared to be laboured and he was unable to reach it.

“The skipper pulled the lifebuoy back on board in order to try and throw it closer to Darren. However, by the time the lifebuoy was recovered, Darren was even further away.

“Darren was now about 50m ahead. He appeared to be drifting in and out of consciousness and had stopped shouting.”

The second deckhand then told the skipper: “I’ve got to go in.” But within 40 seconds of entering the water attached to a steel rope, he too was in difficulty, losing his strength and the use of his limbs. The skipper pulled him back on board but by then Darren was no longer in sight.

Darren’s family said they were upset by comments his crewmates made to investigators suggesting he had clashed with his skipper, was emotional and often quickly angered.

Brother Mark said: “Darren had been very down after his dad’s death in April but he was getting back to his old self and he was in a good place the day before and the skipper said he was in good spirits the morning of the accident.

“While we appreciate the efforts of the crew to save Darren, there were clearly failings in the safety equipment on board and I believe that had they been up to scratch Darren would be here today.

“There is no disputing that drugs were found on board the boat. If Darren had taken them we will never know but we find it hard to believe that someone on drugs on a small fishing vessel could go unnoticed.”