Fisherman Recounts Two Near-Death Sea Disasters

Óli Ægir Þorsteinsson, a seasoned Icelandic fisherman, recounted two harrowing experiences that nearly cost him his life at sea. His career, spanning decades, has been marked by these close calls, highlighting the inherent dangers of maritime work.

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It was a close call the first time, during a season in Vestmannaeyjar. The floats on the nets were glass balls attached with long ropes. I was on Lundinn setting nets when the rope of one swung around my hand and pulled me towards the gunwale. I was about to go overboard, and the rope was cutting deeply into my wrist. With great difficulty, I managed to reach a knife and cut the rope. I still don't understand how I did it, but I had already sustained wounds on my wrist.

The first incident happened during a fishing season in Vestmannaeyjar. While setting nets, a glass float's rope snagged his hand, pulling him towards the ship's edge. He described the rope biting into his wrist as he was dragged overboard. In a desperate act, he managed to reach a knife and cut the rope, saving himself from falling into the sea. He expressed disbelief at how he managed to perform this action while in such a perilous situation.

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We were on a seine net boat in the Langanesröstin in November 1977. It was a 12-ton boat in Gunnólfsvík, and the weather was worsening. We had to go around Font, and it was dark when we entered Langanesröstin. The wind was a strong northeast gale, and the strait is at its worst in that direction. Visibility was poor, so I sailed very close to the rocks because that's where the strait is narrowest. We had just entered the strait when a rogue wave swept over us and capsized the boat.

The second near-disaster took place in November 1977 in the Langanesröstin strait. Óli was on a 12-ton boat using a seine net in rough weather. As darkness fell and visibility decreased, he navigated close to the rocks to traverse the narrowest part of the strait. A rogue wave then hit the boat, capsizing it. He managed to regain control, but the net, caught on the starboard side, pulled the boat over again. Realizing he couldn't retrieve the net, they towed it behind the vessel through the strait. A crucial moment came when the net nearly fouled the propeller, a situation that could have been catastrophic.

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I put the boat at full speed to drive it upright, but as soon as it righted itself, it listed to port. The net was attached to the port side rigging, and it pulled the boat sideways. I saw that it was impossible to retrieve it, so we towed it behind the boat across the strait. The boat managed to right itself, but it was listing significantly in this terrible weather. The seine net was hanging overboard on one wire, and it was a close call that it didn't get caught in the propeller.

Despite the terrifying events, two 16-year-old boys on board, one of whom was Óli's son, remained remarkably calm. Both later became successful fishermen, suggesting the ordeal did not leave a lasting negative impact on them. Further accounts of Óli's experiences are available in a detailed interview.

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Both became capable fishermen, so this adventure didn't seem to have a lasting effect on them.