Joanna C: Family members pay respects to fisherman on anniversary

Robert Morley’s family were at the memorial for lost fishermen at the bottom of Fort Road in Newhaven yesterday afternoon at 5.30pm.

Flowers, electric candles, fairy lights and a placard which read “gone fishing” with Robert Morley’s name written on it were placed in memory of the 38-year-old ship’s mate.

Robert died along with deckhand Adam Harper, 26, after the scallop dredger Joanna C capsized in the early hours of November 21, 2020.

Items were placed on the memorial on the two year anniversary of Robert's death (Image: The Argus)

Robert’s stepfather Barry Woolford said the blustery conditions served as a reminder of the tragedy.

He said: “The weather is a stark reminder of what happened two years ago today. It was blowing a hooley like this, it wasn’t raining but it was very cold.

“It’s a horrendous feeling today, we don’t feel any better.”

Robert Morley

The Joanna C got caught on a line of whelk pots which caused it to list to one side and capsize.

Robert was flung from the boat into the water and succumbed to the cold and drifted away, according to a report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.

Adam Harper was trapped inside the capsized boat’s bunk room as it went down, while captain David Bickerstaff managed to get out and was pulled from the water by lifeboat crews.

People were in good spirits remembering Robert despite the cold and windy conditions (Image: The Argus)

The memorial for lost fishermen, which depicts a copper clad shoal of fish, was set up in April of this year.

The memorial was placed near a popular fishing spot where Robert used to go angling. His mother thought it would be a suitable spot to have the memorial.

It bears the names of fishermen John Ship, Joe Bowen and Andrew Penfold, of the vessel Sylvia Marita, who died in 1979, and Darren Brown, a deckhand on the Our Sarah Jane, who died in 2016.