Freedom II Foundering, Oban, 21st February 2024
Summary
MAIB published Investigation Report 8/2026 on the foundering of the fishing vessel Freedom II on 21 February 2024. The 15.94m UK-registered prawn trawler sank 11 nautical miles south-west of Oban, Scotland after progressive flooding overwhelmed the bilge pumps. All four crew were rescued uninjured. The investigation identified a likely vibration-induced fracture of the seawater suction pipe for the deck wash pump as the flood source, with additional pumps failing or unavailable due to power supply issues.
What changed
MAIB published Investigation Report 8/2026 following the foundering of the fishing vessel Freedom II on 21 February 2024. The 15.94m prawn trawler sank after progressive flooding from the engine room overwhelmed the bilge pumps. The investigation could not identify the exact flood source but determined a vibration-induced fracture of the deck wash pump seawater suction pipe was most likely. Additional pumps either failed or could not be used due to power supply issues.
No new safety recommendations were issued as previous recommendations made for related cases (Guiding Light, Guiding Star, and Opportune) already address the identified safety issues. A safety flyer was published for the fishing industry highlighting flooding risks, pump failures, and emergency communication challenges. Fishing vessel operators should review deck pipe integrity, bilge pump redundancy, and emergency communication capabilities.
What to do next
- Monitor for related safety flyer from MAIB
- Review bilge pump and seawater pipe maintenance procedures
- Ensure emergency communication equipment is adequate for operational area
Archived snapshot
Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Foundering of the fishing vessel Freedom II (CN 111)
Location: 11 nautical miles south-west of Oban, Scotland.
From: Marine Accident Investigation Branch Published 2 April 2026 Vessel type: Fishing vessel Report type: Investigation report Date of occurrence: 21 February 2024
Accident Investigation Report 8/2026
Read our marine accident investigation report, which includes what happened and subsequent actions taken:
MAIB investigation report 8-2026: Freedom II
Summary
On 21 February 2024, the 15.94m UK registered prawn trawler Freedom II foundered 11 nautical miles south-west of Oban, Scotland. The four crew were rescued uninjured. After being towed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the vessel sank and was not recovered.
Safety issues
- The vessel foundered due to a progressive flood into the engine room.
- The exact source of the flood could not be identified. The most likely cause was a vibration-induced fracture of the seawater suction pipe for the deck wash pump.
- The rate of flooding overwhelmed the operational bilge pumps and additional pumps either failed or could not be used due to power supply issues. The salvage pump from the lifeboat was not used.
- The skipper was proactive in ensuring that the crew were safe and managed to raise the alarm in an area of poor signal coverage.
Recommendations
No safety recommendations have been made due to previous recommendations made for Guiding Light and Guiding Star and Opportune.
Related publications
- A safety flyer to the fishing industry was also produced with this report to highlight the safety issues identified by this investigation.
- MAIB report 13/2024: Guiding Light and Guiding Star
- MAIB report 3/2026: Opportune
Photograph credit
Image courtesy of MarineTraffic.
Published 2 April 2026 Contents
Named provisions
Related changes
Get daily alerts for Uk Marine Accident Investigation Branch
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Source
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from MAIB.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when Uk Marine Accident Investigation Branch publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.