THE DEATHS of two fisherman whose boat sank off Newhaven were both accidental, an inquest has ruled.

A jury was told how Adam Harper and Robert Morley died when their vessel, the Joanna C, capsized on Saturday, November 21, 2020.

The inquest, held at Muriel House in Hastings, heard that Adam, 26, drowned after he was trapped in the vessel and went down with the boat.

East Sussex Coroner’s Court heard how Robert, 38, died after being unable to hold on to a lifebuoy.

Captain David Bickerstaff was the sole survivor of the accident, which occurred five nautical miles off the coast of Newhaven.

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Speaking after the inquest, Robert’s mother Jackie Woolford told ITV: "I don't think we will ever get the truth and get all the answers that we want.

“It's the most dangerous job in the world but hopefully by doing this it can be a little safer, at least they get half the chance on the boats and they're safe.

"This is nearly two years down the line, and we're going back to day one all the time.

“So whether this will help and stop it I don't know.”

A report earlier this year from the Marine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB) described how the Joanna C capsized after becoming tangled in a line of whelk pots, causing it to tilt to the starboard side.

The MAIB report went on to describe how Robert’s life jacket came off after David attempted to untangle him from a lifebuoy.

The Argus: Robert MorleyRobert Morley

A life jacket which later washed up on the beach in Newhaven is believed to be the one worn by Robert.

The report also concluded that a life raft which failed to inflate on the boat “adversely affected the survivability of the crew”.

As a result of the capsizing of the boat and the two men’s deaths, a safety flyer has been produced by the fishing industry in order to teach the lessons learned from the incident.

A memorial has been built in Newhaven to honour the pair after their families raised over £20,000 for the statue.