Two Years On: Remembering the Joanna C Tragedy Off Sussex Coast
Today marks the grim second anniversary of the Joanna C fishing boat disaster near Newhaven, Sussex. The vessel sank, claiming the lives of two brave fishermen.
Emergency Alert Sparks Massive Rescue Operation
On the chilly morning of 21 November 2020 at 6am, HM Coastguard received a distress EPIRB signal from the Joanna C, roughly three nautical miles off Seaford near Newhaven.
The Coastguard scrambled rescue helicopters from Lydd and Lee-on-Solent, backed by RNLI all-weather lifeboats from Newhaven and Eastbourne. Local coastguard teams also launched shore searches in a desperate bid to save the crew.
Tragic Loss of Two Fishermen
Three fishermen were aboard when the boat went down. One was heroically rescued by Newhaven RNLI and brought ashore, but sadly, two men were lost to the sea. They were identified as 26-year-old Adam Harper from Brixham and 38-year-old Robert Morley from Pembrokeshire.
Adam’s body was recovered from the wreckage on 24 November. It took until 14 December for Robert Morley’s body to wash ashore at Bexhill. His family received the heartbreaking news in February after formal identification, and his funeral was held on 8 March. The procession passed along Newhaven Harbour before a private cremation in Brighton.
Permanent Memorial Honors Sussex Fishermen Lost at Sea
Robert Morley’s family campaigned to create a lasting tribute for fishermen who died off the Sussex coast. They raised over £20,000 to build a sculpture at Newhaven port’s edge, beside the River Ouse where fishing boats return from the sea.
The £13,000 memorial was unveiled on 28 April 2022, Robert’s 40th birthday. It also commemorates other local fishermen lost at sea: Darren Brown, who fell overboard in 2016, and Joe Bowen, Andrew Penfold, and John Ship, victims of the Sylvia Marita sinking in 1979.
The search and rescue that day went on for more than 13 hours before being called off.
Our thoughts remain with the friends and families of the lost fishermen.
