The partner of a fish farm worker who died after being crushed between two boats is demanding a fatal accident inquiry.
Clive Hendry was crushed as he attempted to move from a boat to a floating structure called a Sea Cap in order to access the staff galley for a refreshment break.
As colleagues tried to pull him onboard, he slipped through his life jacket and drowned.
Fish farm operators Mowi was this month fined £800,000 after admitting a number of health and safety breaches that led to Mr Hendry’s death.
Now, his partner of 28 years, Catriona Lockhart, has vowed to keep fighting for a fatal accident inquiry – and has accused the fish farm operators of failing to improve health and safety standards.
‘I shouldn’t be needing to do this’
Ms Lockhart will write a report, with the help of Scottish Hazards, outlining her reasons for wanting a fatal accident inquiry to happen, which she describes as “harrowing”.
Since the death of her partner, Ms Lockart has been advocating for change in maritime law and for regular health and safety training to be given to all workers to avoid further tragedy.
She is also calling for FAIs to be made compulsory for all work-related accidents after learning that they don’t take place if the company can prove it has fixed the failings.
“Three years and three months after Clive’s death, I shouldn’t be needing to do this,” she said.
“I’ve got until June 9, which is shocking, to submit my feelings and why I want an FAI. I don’t think anyone should have to do it – it should be compulsory.
“Can you imagine it? I’ve got to sit with a pen and paper and write down bullet points on why I think there were failings that day.
“It is a harrowing thing to write following your partner’s death, but I’ve got to do it.”
‘I’m trying to save lives’
It has been a long battle for Ms Lockhart, who says she has had to be signed off her work as a head chef because of the toll the court proceedings have taken on her.
She was also forced to give up the couple’s home in Dornie and has moved into a caravan on their croft near Kyle of Lochalsh.
Ms Lockhart told The Press and Journal they would both work on the croft together and now she struggles to do the tasks her partner could.
From there, she can see, and even hear, the Mowi boats go past.
“My croft looks right onto the loch,” she said. “The sad thing is, I still hear the boat, no matter where I am I hear the boats.
“I say to myself every day ‘I hope they all come back alive’.”
She says practices have not been changed there, claiming from the shore she can see workers bending over moving vessels, and doesn’t believe there is proper man-over-board training in place.
Ms Lockhart walks down to the loch for his anniversary every year as well as on the court date to lay flowers. Last time she was there she claimed the gates were left open, with chemicals left all over the place.
She believes that lessons have not been learned, and hopes the FAI will stop anything like this from happening again.
“There are failings there,” she said. “An FAI could prevent this from happening again. Without change, it will happen again.
“I’m trying to save people’s lives and change the mentality. These fish farms need to put people’s lives before profit and that’s not what they’re doing.
“But, training courses cost time and money.”
‘I’m like a dog with a bone’
She added: “He worked there for 12 years, but before that, he worked for the fishing industry for a little creel boat.
“He was very competent, that was the shocking thing about Clive dying was the fact that he was a competent swimmer.”
None of the money Mowi was fined will go to Ms Lockhart, who is suing the fish farm separately in a civil matter.
“It’s not about the money,” she said. “I’m suing them because I still have to live.
“I moved to the croft, we always planned to move here, and the money will help me do the things we planned to.
“I’m like a dog with a bone, if anybody does me wrong I can’t let it go. But I know I’m going to have to once the FAI is finished.”
Conversation