When a passenger on a Stena Line ferry slipped overboard at the port of Loch Ryan in Scotland, a rescue mission was immediately initiated. The man was later taken by helicopter to a local hospital for treatment.
A Coastguard spokesman released the following statement: "HM Coastguard was requested to assist the Stena Superfast 8 ferry this evening after a person fell overboard in Loch Ryan ... The person was recovered from the water by the ferry's fast rescue craft and taken to Ayr Hospital by the Coastguard helicopter."
Saving the Passenger Who Fell Off the Ferry
On Saturday, July 1, at about 5:30 PM local time, word came in that a passenger had fallen from the ship into the ocean as the Stena Superfast 8 was pulling into the dock, as reported by LADbible.
The Coastguard evacuated the victim to Ayr Hospital after the ferry's rescue crew pulled him from the sea.
BBC reported that he was declared dead once the passenger arrived at the hospital by helicopter. The Scottish Police have said they do not suspect foul play in the death. A report detailing the event will reportedly be sent to the procurator fiscal.
A representative for Stena Line told LADbible that the company immediately began emergency protocols, notified the Coastguard and Police Scotland, and launched a search and rescue effort after the incident.
In Loch Ryan, Scotland
There are boats that go between Scotland and Northern Ireland that dock in Loch Ryan, which is a natural harbor located on the west coast of Scotland. One of these ferries is the Stena Superfast 8, which departs from the Scottish settlement of Cairnryan and arrives in the Northern Irish city of Belfast.
According to LADbible, even though the location has a long history of being used for shipbreaking, it also acted as a backup port during World War II in case the ports on the rivers Mersey and Clyde were bombed and became unworkable.
In addition to being where German U-Boats operating in the Atlantic went to surrender in 1945, it was also one of the places where American forces landed in the UK in preparation for the D-Day assault.
Also Read : 'Get Your Act Together:' Passengers Frustrated With FAA's Twitter Jokes, United's Cancellations
Rare Tragedy With Fatal Consequences
While incidents of persons going overboard are very uncommon, they may have devastating consequences. Multiple situations have occurred in which a passenger went overboard, requiring rescuers to attempt to retrieve them from the sea.
The same tragedy occurred a few days ago in the Baltic Sea. In a report by Mirror, a woman and her 7-year-old son drowned when the youngster jumped overboard from a ferry traveling from Poland to Sweden.
The mother dove into the ocean to save her son, a dive of around 65 feet. Subsequent rescue attempts were directed at bringing both of them to safety.
Both the mother and boy were evacuated to the hospital, but despite the medical staff's best efforts, none survived.
