John Fisher had unclipped his safety harness…

According to The Independent newspaper, John Fisher wasn’t wearing his safety harness when he was washed overboard.

Fellow crew from Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag said Mr Fisher had unclipped his tether to tidy up a sheet when the boat was caught in an accidental crash gybe – where the mainsail and its supporting boom swing across to the opposite side of the vessel.

According to a timeline of events released by the team, Mr Fisher was hit by the mainsheet system and knocked overboard. The crew believe he was already unconscious from the blow before hitting the water.

The 47-year-old, who was an experienced big boat sailor and was sailing in his first Volvo Ocean Race, was wearing a survival suit with a wetsuit hood and gloves and a lifejacket at the time.
Team manager Tim Newton described it as “the worst situation you can imagine happening to your team”.

He added: “We are absolutely heartbroken for John’s family and friends. I know for David [Witt, the boat’s skipper], he has lost his best friend. It’s devastating.”

Following the incident, it took some time to get the boat under control and sail back to a position near where Mr Fisher had been thrown overboard.

A search and rescue operation was carried out for several hours, but there was no sign of the sailor and the decision was made to abandon the search as weather conditions deteriorated.
The crew are now making their way back to shore.

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