Missing sailor John Fisher ‘likely unconscious’ before he hit the water: Crew of Hong Kong-owned boat release timeline of events
Briton unclipped his safety tether just as the boat suffered a sudden change of direction and was knocked into the sea by a fast-moving piece of equipment
Missing Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag sailor John Fisher was likely unconscious before he hit the water after being hit by the mainsheet pulley system that knocked him into the sea, according to a timeline of events released on Wednesday by the heartbroken crew of the Hong Kong-owned boat as they abandoned leg seven of the Volvo Ocean Race and headed towards the coast of Chile.
Fisher is presumed to be lost at sea after falling overboard into the treacherous Southern Ocean on Monday night (Hong Kong time) some 1,400 miles from Cape Horn, with Scallywag around 200 miles behind the rest of the six-boat fleet at the time.
The report says Fisher had unclipped his safety tether to clean up a furled sail. At that very moment, the boat experienced a sudden change of direction – a highly dangerous accidental crash gybe – as it swept down a large wave and the 47-year-old Briton was hit by the equipment that swung violently across the boat and knocked him into the sea.
The conditions were challenging when Fisher, who was wearing a survival suit with a wetsuit hood and gloves and a life jacket, unhooked himself with 35-45-knot winds and 4-5 metre seas.
Tim Newton, the Scallywag team manager, said skipper David Witt and navigator Libby Greenhalgh furnished a timeline of events to ensure accurate reporting of the incident.