GRIMSBY'S lost fishermen were remembered at an annual memorial service.
Around 100 people gathered at Grimsby Minster to show their gratitude for the sacrifices of those who died while helping to feed the nation.
Held yesterday afternoon, the Lost Fishermen's Memorial Service was followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the Fishermen's Memorial statue in St James' Square.
Organised by the Grimsby Fishermen's Mission, the service was conducted by the organisation's superintendent Tony Jewitt.
Those gathered prayed for the men who never returned from the sea, and there were performances by the Youth Voices Choir and the Grimsby Salvation Army Band.
Standard bearers from the Fishermen's Mission and the Merchant Navy took part in a procession into the church.
In his address, the Venerable Simon Golding CBE from the Fishermen's Mission Council spoke of the debt owed to those who go to sea to feed the nation in the most vulnerable and dangerous of occupations.
He described how in the space of two-and-a-half years during the 1880s, 169 fishermen were lost at sea.
He spoke of how the harsh working conditions had taken a particular toll on Grimsby's trawlermen, revealing that even in one year in the 1960s when none of them were lost at sea, their death rate was still twice as high as other fishermen in the UK, and four times higher than miners.
Mr Golding also provided a reminder that fishing remains a perilous occupation today, revealing that in 2013, there were 238 incidents affecting UK vessels in which 18 boats were lost and four people were killed.
Speaking after the service, Jane Hyldon-King, chairman of the Friends Of The Fishermen's Mission, said: "The service was really good. It's really important to remember our lost fishermen and also those that are still fishing today."
Adele Dempsey, 28, of the Willows estate, Grimsby, laid a wreath on behalf of the Fishermen's Mission.
She has volunteered with the organisation since losing her trawlerman husband William last year to a sudden illness aged 41.
She said: "My husband was a fisherman from when he was 16. He did say it was dangerous but he loved fishing.
"The mission supported me after he died and the work they do is so important."
The Youth Voices Choir, from North East Lincolnshire's Music And Performing Arts Service, sang The Grimsby Lads by local songwriter John Conolly.
Director Caroline Gooch said: "This is the fourth year we have been at the service and it is great opportunity for them to perform and learn about the heritage of the town."
