Fisherman’s fatal fall ‘was an accident’

Father-of-two Jamie Barbeary, 37, had been drinking in a nearby pub in the hours before he went to skipper the Olivia Belle on October 11, 2009.

It is thought he may have slipped as he crossed the 3ft gap from the harbourside to the vessel, hitting his head on a concrete plinth in the shallows 20ft below.

A post-mortem examination said Mr Barbeary, who lived on the vessel in Ilfracombe, north Devon, died as a result of head injuries but was still alive when he fell into the water. His lifeless body was found in the harbour the following morning.

A jury yesterday brought to an end a three-year wait for answers when they ruled the skipper died accidentally. They said alcohol and the gap between the quay and the vessel were both factors in the death.

After the hearing, Mr Barbeary’s partner, Jo Lucas, paid tribute to the man she said was considered “the best skipper in the Bristol Channel”.

She said: “He loved that boat, he loved fishing and he was devoted to his family.”