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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Jacob Farr

Ship that tipped over in Edinburgh injuring 35 people spotted off coast for first time

Pictures have emerged of the RV Petrel, which tilted in the dry dock in Leith Harbour in March, being tugged in the Firth of Forth after being righted and repaired.

Emergency services from the capital had to undertake a major operation on March 22 after the ship toppled to a 45 degree angle.

As many as 35 people were injured during the event with 23 of those treated in various hospitals across Edinburgh and the Lothians - sadly one person was understood to have suffered from ‘life changing injuries’ during the major incident.

READ MORE: Edinburgh schoolchildren 'covered in shards of glass' as bus crashes into tree

A painter was said to be the person who suffered from horrific injuries during the tilting with a law firm taking on his case in the investigation

Constantin Pogor, 48, 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 understood to have hit a metal beam and was knocked unconscious, suffering a broken pelvis and dislocated elbow.

Due to the multiple injuries sustained it is understood that the Health and Safety Executive is continuing to look into the incident.

Dig Brown said they were working with numerous complainants earlier this month.

They said: "We can confirm we are 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."

The RV Petrel was only brought back upright on Tuesday May 2 at Leith’s Imperial Dock.

But these are the first pictures to emerge that show the ship back out at sea since being repaired after the incident.; however it is being assisted by three large tug boats as it travelled through the Firth of Forth on Tuesday May 30.

Texas-based engineering firm Oceaneering, which operates the vessel for the US Navy, confirmed its staff were among those on board when the tilting incident happened.

The US Navy said the vessel was a "multi-purpose maritime operations ship" that was "capable of supporting oceanographic surveys."

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.

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