A fisherman who drowned off the north-east coast after becoming entangled in his own gear could have survived if he was wearing a lifejacket, an investigation has found.
After beginning the day on fishing grounds north of Macduff, Tony Masson, skipper of the Sea Mist, was dragged under water on March 27.
His empty vessel was found by his son, a fellow fisherman, who raised the alarm.
Mr Masson was found around an hour later, and taken to hospital in Aberdeen, but he was declared dead on arrival.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said the presence of a “physical barrier” between the fisherman and his rope “would probably have prevented this accident”, adding a lifejacket “might well” have saved his life.
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In their safety advice, they added: “The skipper was working alone on deck without a lifejacket or personal locator beacon.
“Once he entered the water, he had no means of raising the alarm or remaining afloat without the need to swim.
“Without the buoyant support of a lifejacket, a person’s survival time after sudden immersion in cold water can be measured in minutes. In this case… a lifejacket might well have saved the skipper’s life.”
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