A port worker reportedly died after becoming entangled in two ropes connected to a ferry’s mooring lines at the Cairnryan Harbour, a roll-on ferry terminal on Loch Ryan in Scotland.
John Hamilton was handling the lines on the quay while they were being winched aboard the Stena’s Superfast VII.
The 60-year-old was suddenly lifted off his feet and dashed against a metal structure on the quay and then hit the vessel’s hull before falling into the water.
The initial investigation revealed that Hamilton, who was a port services operative, had followed all safety procedures when he became entangled in the ropes.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland said that the accident could have been avoided if precautions had been taken.
He added that the vessel’s crew should have stopped recovering the mooring lines when Hamilaton entered the area.
The person in charge of bringing the mooring lines onboard should have kept an eye on the quayside.
The sheriff said Hamilton was loved by his family and friends and was a respected and experienced PSO, and that an “unfortunate combination” of several factors resulted in his death.
