Conor Moseley, aged 20, died when fire extinguisher gases left him unable to escape the engine room of a trawler on 15 November 2019.

Conor and three other workers were carrying out work on the Resurgam, a fishing vessel owned and operated by W. Stevenson & Sons Limited, when a fire suppression system being installed by Ocean Engineering (Fire) Ltd unexpectedly activated. It filled the engine room with hot, toxic gases, creating dangerous conditions and making it difficult to see.

The small, enclosed engine room had only one way in and out. Workers had to climb a ladder and pass through a hatch one at a time, passing through a gas jet in excess of 75°C. The other workers managed to climb out, but Conor was overcome by carbon monoxide and other substances, leaving him unable to escape.

His colleagues tried to rescue him, putting themselves at risk in the process, but they were unable to reach him. Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service later rescued Conor from the engine room, but he could not be revived.

Tracy Moseley, Conor’s mother, reflected on her son’s life and the impact his death has had on them. “Growing up Conor loved nothing better than helping out on his dad’s boat.

“Conor always made himself available to help his father when he came in from sea and would be ready to help him land his catch even after a full day’s work. Now for Steve, my husband, there is just an empty place that cannot be filled.

“All we have now are his ashes which are kept in his bedroom.  Every morning I go in and say, ‘morning little man I love you’ and blow him a kiss.  I never say ‘good morning’ as it can never be a good morning without him.

“At night I blow him a kiss and say ‘night night little man, I love you’.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the risks created by several contractors working in the cramped engine room had not been properly considered. One contractor described the room as a mess, with poor lighting and trip hazards, and said that at one point six or seven people were working in the space. One witness described it as chaos.