FRIENDS of Exmouth fisherman Geoff Ingram who died when his boat sank last year have criticised the time it is taking to investigate the tragedy.
Mr Ingram (pictured), a father of two, went down with his trawler the Sarah Jayne in September.
The boat flipped as the 51-year-old was making a mayday call-out which saved the lives of his two fellow crewmen, who were subsequently rescued.
But more than six months on, the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch has still not completed its investigation.
Fellow fisherman Dave Kerley, who was responsible for organising the incredible recovery of Mr Ingram's body from the seabed by his friends, has accused the branch as taking too long to investigate the death.
He is particularly concerned that the authority has failed to identify why the two life rafts did not activate.
He said had Mr Ingram not gone back into the wheelroom and made the mayday call when the life rafts failed to activate, the two other crewmen were unlikely to have been rescued.
Mr Ingram, a former award-winning Exmouth RNLI crewman of 18 years, was renowned for his views on health and safety.
At the time Mr Ingram's friends expressed their frustration at the "lack of action" by the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch, which launched an investigation following the sinking of the vessel nine days before his body was recovered.
Mr Kerley, 46, who owns the Fish Shed at Darts Farm, said: "Everyone wants to know what happened. Geoff was so health and safety conscious.
"The main concern is why the life rafts didn't go off, especially as the boat had just been serviced.
The nine-strong team of Mr Ingram's friends and fellow fishermen went out to the wreck just over a week after the incident after the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch lifted the cordon from around the wreck site.
The branch has refused to comment on why it did not send divers down to the wreck to retrieve Mr Ingram's body.
Maritime Accident Investigation Branch confirmed the investigation into the incident, which occurred on September 11, off the coast of Brixham, is still on going but has refused to comment further.
