A painter who suffered horrific injuries when a US Navy ship tipped over 45 degrees in a dry dock in Leith has spoken out.
This comes as a law firm begins an investigation. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is conducting an investigation into the incident in Imperial Dock in the Port of Leith, Edinburgh on March 22.
Emergency services rushed to Leith when the RV Petrel tipped over in the docks, leaving a total of 35 people injured, with 23 hospitalised. One person on board is said to have "life changing" injuries, while many suffered with fractures and lacerations.
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Constantin Pogor, 48, explained how he was painting the 250ft-long ship's command tower when he realised he was "flying from one side of the bridge to the other". He was knocked unconscious after hitting a metal beam and suffered a broken pelvis and dislocated elbow, as the Daily Record reports.
Mr Pogor said: "I heard a loud noise, felt movement and I just had this reflex reaction to try and hold onto something, but I didn't get to grab onto anything. I flew from one side of the bridge to the other and landed on my right side and hit my ribs on a metal beam.
"I must have passed out because I remember just sort of coming to - that's when I realised my elbow was dislodged. A colleague then tried to move me - it was really painful and that's when I realised that although I could move my legs, something was wrong in my hip. I still don't know what actually happened that day to cause the ship to fall."
A maritime industry source told The Scotsman that it may have been caused by a problem with the blocks holding the hull in place. Mr Pogor, from Romania, sought lawyers "to investigate independently on my behalf" as he doesn't know why it happened.
He said: "I think there's a lot of other people onboard who've done the same. I want to shed light on what happened to me just so people back home know I'm relatively okay. It was scary at the time, especially when you're not able to speak the same language. But I'm being looked after now, have a translator and I'm focused on my recovery."
A spokesman for Digby Brown said: "We can confirm we assisting a number of injured people affected by the Leith docks incident. Our enquiries are at an early stage, so we cannot comment further on the specifics. However, we will continue to support and advise all affected people."
A spokesperson for Dales Marine Services, which runs the dry dock, said there were "no new updates or comments at this time". Texas-based engineering firm Oceaneering, which operates the vessel for the US Navy, has confirmed its staff were among those on board when the incident happened.
An Oceaneering spokesperson has said: "The safety of our employees and the communities in which we operate is our utmost priority. Company personnel were aboard at the time of the incident. Immediately upon learning of this incident, and consistent with our stringent safety policies and incident protocols, we initiated an internal investigation and are working closely with the appropriate authorities for a full investigation of the matter."
The US Navy said the vessel was a "multi-purpose maritime operations ship" that was "capable of supporting oceanographic surveys".
A spokesman said: "The Navy procured Petrel in September 2022 to support our efforts in maritime domain awareness. We are working closely with the on-site authorities, who are in the best position to help those in need and to provide status updates.
"We will continue to communicate with our contacts at the scene in order to understand what occurred, the actions being taken, and the long-term impacts. Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and their families, with hopes for a quick and full recovery."
The vessel was previously bought and outfitted by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen before being sold by his estate. It had been moored in Leith since September 2020 due to "operational challenges" from the pandemic, according to a statement on the vessel's social media page.
Mr Allen bought the ship to locate historically significant shipwrecks and it discovered around 30 sunken warships, including the Japanese Imperial Navy's IJN Musashi.
A HSE spokesperson said: "A HSE team is continuing to work with Police Scotland on the ongoing investigation of this incident."
A Police Scotland spokesperson added: "Officers are working with the Health and Safety Executive. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances."
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