Rescue bid fails to save ferry man who plunged overboard in North Sea

By FRANK URQUHART
Published on 06/08/2012 09:53

A POLICE investigation has begun into the death of a man who fell overboard from a ferry bound for the Northern Isles.

The passenger, who has still to be named, died in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after being recovered from the North Sea by a fast rescue craft and airlifted to hospital on Sunday night.

The investigation hopes to establish how the man ended up in the sea after the ferry, Hjaltland, left Aberdeen harbour, bound for Kirkwall on Orkney and Lerwick on Shetland.

The man was spotted falling into the water shortly before 9pm on Sunday night when the ferry was 30 miles off Fraserburgh on the Buchan coast.

He was recovered from the sea by the crew of the rescue craft, which had been launched from the Hjaltland itself.

Aberdeen coastguard had secured a Sea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth, which airlifted the man to the Royal Infirmary where he was later pronounced dead.

A spokeswoman for Grampian Police said: “At around 9pm on Sunday, a man was recovered from the North Sea, having been reported overboard from

the Aberdeen-Kirkwall-Lerwick ferry. He was conveyed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and died a short time later.”

She added: “Grampian Police, with the assistance of Northern Constabulary, are investigating the circumstances and no further information can be released until the man has been identified and next of kin notified.”

Stuart Garret, the managing director of Serco NorthLink Ferries, said: “All of us here at NorthLink were saddened to be informed of the death of a man who fell overboard on the MV Hjaltland sailing from Aberdeen to Kirkwall and Lerwick last night.

“The man was recovered by the ferry’s fast rescue boat and airlifted by an RAF rescue helicopter to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.”