The skipper of a boat which sank off Shetland with the loss of a crewman had taken illegal drugs, a report has revealed.
Leonard Scollay, 40, from Lerwick, died when the Diamond went down last year.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said both the unnamed skipper, who survived, and Mr Scollay had their ability to function significantly impaired by drugs.
Mr Scollay was not wearing a lifejacket.
The boat had hit rocks on the approach to West Burrafirth Pier in the early hours of the morning in March last year.
The map shows the area that the boat went down
It was Mr Scollay’s first voyage to sea and he had not had any sea survival training.
The report said: “The skipper employed Leonard without ensuring that he was appropriately trained.
“It is likely that Leonard Scollay would have survived had he been wearing a lifejacket. However, he had taken heroin before the accident and this would have impaired his ability to survive or to appreciate his predicament.”
The Diamond before its tragic voyage
Skipper of boat that sank off Shetland was on drugs
