Cruise ship crew member in his 40s dies after falling overboard at pier – as probe into tragedy is launched
- The man fell from the Viking Mars at the Port of Cromarty Firth in Scotland
A crew member on a cruise ship has died after falling overboard at a pier in the Cromarty Firth.
The man, aged in his 40s, was airlifted to hospital after falling from the Viking Mars on Friday but could not be saved.
His family is now being supported by Viking Cruises and an investigation has been launched to establish the cause of the tragedy.
The alarm was raised at 11am on Friday after the man fell from the ship, which has a capacity of 930 guests, at Saltburn pier at the Port of Cromarty Firth in Invergordon, Easter Ross.
A trauma team, two ambulances and a helicopter were dispatched and the man was taken to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where he died a few hours later.
The man fell from the cruise ship Viking Mars on Friday, but sadly succumbed to his injuries the same day. Pictured: The Viking Mars arriving at port in Portsmouth in June this year
The incident took place in the Port of Cromarty Firth in Invergordon, Scotland. Pictured: A view of the port in June this year
In a statement, cruise company Viking said: ‘It is with great sadness that we confirm a crew member passed away following an incident in Scotland on 18 August.
‘We shared our deepest sympathies with the crew member’s family and are working to ensure they have the support they need during this difficult time.
‘Viking’s focus remains on the safety and wellbeing of our crew and guests.
READ MORE HERE: Crew member dies after falling from cruise ship docked at Scottish pier
‘Our operations team is working with local authorities to determine how this occurred.’
The company had previously said that no other crew members or guests were involved in the incident.
The Health and Safety Executive has been informed of the man’s death and Police Scotland confirmed that a report has been sent to the procurator fiscal.
A police spokesman said: ‘Around 11am on Friday, August 18 police received a report of a man having fallen from a ship at Saltburn Pier in Invergordon.
‘Emergency services attended and the man was taken by helimed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he died a few hours later.
‘A report has been sent to the procurator fiscal.’
The 745-foot Viking Mars was built in 2022 and is classed as a small ship, meaning it can dock at ports which are inaccessible to larger vessels.
It is used for cruises round Britain and to destinations including Iceland and the Mediterranean.
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