Body recovered from sea in Bexhill identified as missing fisherman
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Two men on board the Joanna C fishing boat died when it sank on November 21 last year.
A third man – captain Dave Bickerstaff was pulled from the water by lifeboat crews after clinging to a lifebuoy – but the body of Adam Harper, 26, from Brixham, Devon, was found days later.
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Hide AdOn December 14, a body was pulled from the sea off De la Warr Parade, Bexhill.
On Thursday (February 18), a spokesman for Sussex Police said: “Following the tragic incident in which the fishing boat Joanna C capsized off Newhaven on 21 November, the body of a man washed ashore at Bexhill on 14 December has been formally identified, through DNA analysis, as that of missing fisherman, Robert Morley.
The next of kin of Mr Morley, who was 38 and from Pembrokeshire, have been notified.
Our thoughts are with his family - and the other fisherman who lost his life in this tragic incident - at this time.”
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Hide AdRobert’s father Barry Woolford, from Brixham, said: “To all the beautiful people of Brixham it is with much sadness that I have to inform you that our son Robert Morley has been identified as the body that was brought from the sea at Bexhill in December.
“Thank you all for your fantastic support and love these past 12 weeks.
“No further information is available at this moment regarding funeral arrangements but on behalf of all Robs’ family thanks Brixham.”
The Joanna C fishing vessel sank at about 6am on November 21 with three crew members on board.
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Hide AdIt sparked a major multi-agency search which continued throughout the Saturday and Sunday.
Once the search was called off on November 22, hundreds of people, including emergency teams included in the search, attended a vigil in Newhaven to send their thoughts to those affected.