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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Gemma Ryder & Jacob Farr

US Navy ship RV Petrel righted six weeks after emergency incident in Edinburgh dock

The RV Petrel which toppled in a capital dry dock due to high winds is now back afloat almost a month and a half after the emergency incident took place.

The US Navy ship was righted by two tugs at the Imperial Dock in Leith on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 2, the BBC reports.

Emergency services had raced to the ship and a major operation was undertaken when it tipped at a 45-degree angle on March 22. As many as 35 people were injured during the event, with 23 treated in hospital.

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Sadly one person on the ship was said to have suffered “life-changing” injuries, whilst others were inflicted with fractures and lacerations. The Health and Safety Executive is looking into the incident, the Daily Record reports.

It is understood that the Leith dry dock was filled with water so that the vessel could be brought back upright.

A US Navy spokesperson told the BBC that the work to stabilise the ship was underway and that it was being moved along the pier to allow for further inspection and repair work to be undertaken.

Last week, the Daily Record reported that someone within the maritime industry had suggested that the ship tilting could have been related to blocks holding the hull in place.

A painter was the person who suffered horror injuries in the incident and a law firm has taken 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 hit a metal beam and was knocked unconscious, suffering a broken pelvis and dislocated elbow.

Dig Brown said they were working with numerous complainants.

They 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."

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

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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