Young fisherman died 'doing job he loved' – Fishupdate.com

Young fisherman died ‘doing job he loved’ Published:  05 January, 2010

TRIBUTES have been paid to the young fisherman who was lost in a collision in the English Channel shortly before Christmas.

He has been named as 21-year-old Chris Wadsworth who after the Teignmouth-based crabber Etoile Des Ondes was in collision with an ‘unidentified’ vessel about 20 miles off the French port of Cherbourg.

Three crewmen managed to get themselves into a life raft and were flown to France by a rescue helicopter but Mr Wadsworth, who was not thought to be wearing a lifejacket, went missing in the incident. Despite a major air sea search he was not found and the rescue services thought it unlikely that he would last for more than an hour or two in such cold seas.

Speaking on behalf of the family, his sister Samantha told reporters in a tribute that her brother had a “wonderful passion for life”. She said her brother had a kind heart and was a confident friendly man who had his whole life before him.

Although he underwent a serious operation in his teenage years, he never complained about his condition and it did not stop him doing a job he loved..

She added: ” His motto was to ‘live life to the max’ and if he died in the process, as least he would die happy. Knowing he has been taken from us doing what he loved, is a small comfort for us. “

Chris Wadsworth came from Bristol and had taken well to life in the fishing industry.. So far the other vessel in the collision has not been named, but the captain of a 47,000 ton Far East registered freighter now docked in Hamburg, Germany, has been questioned. Both the Devon and Cornwall police and the marine authorities in France are conducting an investigation into the incident.