L'Ecume II tributes: 'Best fisherman I ever knew'

Michael Michieli, Jervis Baligat and Larry Simyunn died when the fishing vessel they were on collided with a Condor freight ferry

Friends and family have shared memories of three fishermen who died in a crash with a freight ferry.

L'Ecume II's skipper Michael Michieli, Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat died when the boat collided with Condor's Commodore Goodwill in December 2022.

Mr Michieli, 62, was said to be a "genius" and the "best fisherman I ever knew", while Mr Simyunn, 33, and Mr Baligat, 31, had been "so happy" just hours before the crash.

A jury was unable to reach a verdict on manslaughter charges against Lewis Carr, 30, but he was found guilty of a breach of Jersey's shipping law and will be sentenced in December.

Artur Sevash-Zade, 35, was found not guilty of manslaughter and the jury could not reach a verdict on a shipping law charge.

During the three-week trial at Jersey's Royal Court, Carr and Mr Sevash-Zade had faced three charges of gross negligence manslaughter.

Carr faces a maximum of two years in prison relating to a failure to discharge his duty in a manner likely to cause "loss destruction, death or injury".

Rebecca Frasco lived and worked in Jersey at the same time as Jervis Baligat and Larry Simyunn

Mr Simyunn and Mr Baligat came to Jersey from the Philippines on nine-month seasonal worker visas to provide a better life for their families back home.

Rebecca Frasco was close friends with them in Jersey and said she was like an "older sister" to both of them.

She said they all lived in cabins with other Filipino workers on a farm in St Mary's and would often socialise when the pair returned from sea.

"Each of us were working in a very far away land to just provide a good life for our families back in the Philippines," she said.

One of her most vivid memories is hearing Mr Baligat singing in his bedroom.

"He was a singer in the Philippines also - in the church, he liked the guitar and he would sing and praise God," she said.

"I was next door to him so I could hear him."

Ms Frasco also recalled both men would bring back fish for the rest of the workers after they had been at sea and recalled a community gathering shortly before both men died.

"The last time we met before they died, we were so happy," she said.

"We were having a barbecue, playing with some darts and we were singing, talking about good things, positive things in life, so that's why it's really hard to forget them because they are good people.

"For me their loss is a big impact because they are good friends of mine, [I was] like an older sister to them."

Euniza Simyunn, the sister of Mr Simyunn, declined to do an interview while the trial was taking place, but spoke to the BBC about her brother in 2023.

She said he travelled to Jersey to help their family financially as their father was unwell.

"He said that no matter what happened, he would go abroad for us and he will provide for us and he will do his best for us and that's what we hold on to," she said.

Ms Simyunn also remembered the last message her brother sent her just before he set sail on the journey that claimed his life.

"Before they are leaving the shore, Larry contacted us and said 'Don't you ever leave our Papa, don't you ever forget that you still have the obligation to do so for our family and I will so do my part as you do your part'.

"That night, I didn't know that would be the last night we spoke," she said.

Euniza Simyunn pictured alongside her brother Larry Simyunn

Michael Michieli was skipper of the L'Ecume and a very experienced fisherman.

His wife Claire Michieli provided a statement during the court case and said her husband was "proud" of his boat and had been passionate about fishing from the age of six.

She recalled the morning of the collision, when her husband came round to her side of the bed to give her a "kiss goodbye" at about 03:15 GMT, less than three hours before he died.

His close friend Dave Nuth said he had "faultless" fishing knowledge, and watching him complete a task such as repairing a fishing net was like "watching a symphony orchestra".

The fishing trawler had set off from Victoria Pier in St Helier, Jersey, on the morning of 8 December 2022.

The Commodore Goodwill freight vessel was carrying cargo from Guernsey to Jersey, at the time of the collision.

The bodies of Mr Simyunn and Mr Baligat were found near the site a few days later.

Mr Michieli's body was found with the wreckage when it was located in April 2023.