The horror of a research ship that lurched to one side has been revealed in new terrifying aerial pictures. The boat fell over in a dry dock in Edinburgh in an incident that has left 14 people still in hospital.
The Petrel, a research vessel owned by the US Navy, fell at a 45-degree angle in strong winds on Wednesday morning while docked at Imperial Dock in Leith.
A major rescue operation was launched in response to what one dock worker described as a “very scary” incident.
Thirty-five people were injured altogether, 21 of whom were taken to hospital. As of Thursday, 14 were still being treated.
In one picture, the ship’s maroon hull is clearly visible, exposed by the tilting of the ship.
James Walsh, 39, a scaffolder on the docks, was working nearby when he heard a “loud noise”.
He said: “It wasn’t as noisy as you would think, for the catastrophe that it could possibly be. We stopped what we were doing. I’m the foreman, so I just evaluated the situation.
“We were on the docks further up and we were advised we were fine where we were.”
He added it was “scary, very scary”, and it made him “evaluate everything really”.
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Local councilor Adam McVey claimed that the toppling of the ship happened because strong winds dislodged it at the docks.
The 76m research vessel is owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s estate.
Following the incident, Superintendent Mark Rennie of Police Scotland said: “There is no risk to the wider public and inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what has happened. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.”
Colin Agnew, 33, who also works on the docks, said he and his colleagues were initially unaware of what was going on.
He said: “We just heard noise and we wondered what it was and then all of a sudden you were hearing all the police, fire engines, and the ambulance come in.
“It was crazy because you wouldn’t think you would hear that down by here. It was just crazy.”
Port chaplain Pauline Robertson, from the Sailors’ Society, described the incident as “just horrific.”
She added: “Those who witnessed it, it’s so much to take in. It’s surreal in so many ways and it’s a lot to process.”
