Thirty-five injured after high winds topple ship over in dry dock
Thirty-five people were injured after a ship that was previously owned by the co-founder of Microsoft toppled over in a dry dock during high winds.
NHS Lothian said 23 people were admitted to hospital, some with serious injuries, while the Scottish Ambulance Service said a further 12 were treated at the scene at Imperial Dock in Leith, Edinburgh.
A major incident was declared after research vessel Petrel became dislodged from its holding on a dry dock, with the 3,000-ton ship leaning at a 45-degree angle.
STV reported there were around 50 refurbishment workers on board and US citizens were involved. The US Consulate in Edinburgh said it was monitoring the situation and offering support.
The ambulance service sent 12 ambulances, an air ambulance, three trauma teams and other resources to the scene, while the fire service also attended.
NHS Lothian received 21 patients, with 17 being admitted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI) for treatment and four to the Western General Hospital (WGH) in the city. A further two were taken by ambulance to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
The health board said it was forced to cancel outpatient appointments, endoscopies and planned operations to support accident and emergency staff and free up surgeons for the influx.
In a statement issued just after 5pm, it said nine of the ERI patients had been discharged and eight were still in hospital, some with serious injuries. The four at WGH were waiting to be discharged.
The 76-metre (250ft) ship was bought and outfitted by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen but is no longer owned by his estate.
He converted it into a deep submergence research vessel in 2017 and it was one of the few ships worldwide equipped to explore 6,000m (19,685ft) below the ocean’s surface.
It featured an autonomous underwater vehicle capable of reaching extreme depths, a remotely-operated vehicle for use once targets were identified and a multibeam echo-sounder.
The vessel had been used for deep water searches for shipwrecks and war graves at sea, including the lost World War Two heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, which was discovered 18,000 feet (5.5km) beneath the surface.
