A TOP north-east trawlerman has died after plunging into the water at an English port.
James Reid, from Fraserburgh, slipped as he tried to board a boat at the Royal Quays Marina in North Shields.
The 37-year-old is believed to have struck his head as he fell, before becoming trapped between the vessel and the harbour wall.
He was unconscious when a lifeboat crew recovered him. His rescuers believe he may have been in the water for some time.
Mr Reid was taken to hospital, where he died.
The tragedy happened in the early hours of Saturday.
Married Mr Reid, skipper of the Broch-registered Horizon II, had been trying to reach his vessel by boarding another boat, the former Fraserburgh trawler New Dawn, which was moored alongside.
Last night, close friend and former crewmate Billy Wood paid tribute.
“James was a very well-liked and respected young skipper who will be sorely missed,” he said. “He will leave an unbreachable void in his family’s lives.”
Mr Reid had been working in the north-east of England with a crew of Filipino fishermen.
The Tynemouth lifeboat team was called to the scene just before 12.50am.
RNLI crewman Ian Black went into the water and swam towards Mr Reid. He managed to lift him on to the lifeboat with the help of two other crew members.
The fisherman was taken to a nearby pontoon, where he was treated by the ambulance service’s hazardous-area response team before being taken to hospital.
Despite attempts to revive Mr Reid, he died about two hours later. His family in Fraserburgh have been informed, police said.
Humber Coastguard called in the inshore lifeboat team – as well as Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade – after receiving several 999 calls.
RNLI spokesman Adrian Don said: “He had been in the water for some time and had suffered head injuries.
“Once on the scene, a volunteer RNLI crew member swam between dock wall and the trawler, where the man was trapped, and got him closer to the lifeboat, into which he was recovered.”
Life Brigade captain Peter Lilley said: “It was a major incident involving all emergency services.
“We’re not sure how the man came to fall but he seems to have somehow lost his footing.
“There were two trawlers moored side-by-side and he was trying to get across one boat to get on to his boat when he fell.”
He added: “Despite the best efforts of all those involved in his rescue, he died in hospital at around 3am.
“The brigade expresses its deepest sympathies to his friends and family.”
A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: “We were informed that a man had fallen from a boat into the River Tyne at 1am on Saturday. He was taken to hospital, where he subsequently died.”
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is expected to begin its inquiries later today.
Mr Reid was a director of the Broch-based Horizon Fishing Company alongside his father, also James.
Yesterday, fishermen in the north-east and England flooded social networking sites with messages of condolence.