Worker on the dock where 33 people were injured when a ship capsized in high winds said it was “so scary”.
The Scottish Ambulance Service said 21 people were taken to hospital following the incident in Leith, Edinburghwhile another 12 were treated and discharged on the spot Wednesday morning.
The ambulance service said 15 patients were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, four to Western General Hospital and two to Victoria Hospital.
Those who witnessed it, it’s so much to take in. It’s unreal in so many ways and it’s a lot to process
A major incident was reported when the police, ambulance, fire service and coast guard were called to a report that a vessel had become detached from its anchorage in Imperial Dock at around 8:35 am.
The ambulance service sent 12 ambulances, a trauma helicopter, three trauma teams and other resources to the scene.
Photos show the Petrel, believed to be owned by a US Navy department, lying in dry dock at a 45-degree angle.
The 76-meter research vessel was previously purchased and outfitted by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and was sold by his estate in 2022.
James Walsh, 39, is a scaffolder on the docks and was working nearby when he heard a “loud noise”.
He said: “It wasn’t as noisy as you might think, despite the catastrophe it could have been.
“We stopped what we were doing. I’m the foreman so I just evaluated the situation, we were on the docks ahead and we were told we were fine where we were.
He spoke to a worker he knows on the ship and told them, “He had just put down his tool bag and thought, ‘I’m going to the toilet,’ went to the toilet and said he doesn’t know where his colleagues were. “
“It’s scary. Very scary. Makes you really evaluate everything,” Mr. Walsh said.
“No one goes to work to be involved in an accident.
“It’s so scary that you go to work and something like this can happen. It’s bad enough to have a near miss, that’s scary enough, or a minor accident, but something like that in this day and age.”
Colin Agnew, 33, who works at the docks, said: “We just heard a noise and we were wondering what it was and then all of a sudden you heard all the police, fire trucks and the ambulance come in.
“It was crazy because you wouldn’t think you’d hear that down here. It was just crazy.”
Portal chaplain Pauline Robertson, of the Sailors’ Society, said the incident was “simply horrific” and added: “For 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.”
Leith councilor Adam McVey said high winds had caused the ship to become detached.
He tweeted: “Fearful for those on board, my thoughts are with those injured and I hope everyone recovers quickly. Avoid area.”
A wind speed of 38mph was recorded at 8am in Edinburgh on Wednesday, according to Met Office data, while a gust of 44mph was recorded at 9am.
Scotland Police said all victims had been removed by 1.20pm and officers remain at the scene.
Chief Inspector Mark Rennie said: “There is no risk to the general public and investigations are underway to establish the full circumstances of what happened. The Executive Health and Safety Service has been informed.”
NHS Lothian previously said it was “on standby to receive a number of patients” at the crime scene’s Edinburgh Royal Infirmary ER and urged others not to attend unless it was an emergency.
Mr. Allen purchased the ship to locate historically significant shipwrecks and it discovered about 30 sunken warships, including the Imperial Japanese Navy’s IJN Musashi.
The Petrel has been moored in Leith since September 3, 2020 due to “operational challenges” from the pandemic, according to a statement on the ship’s social media page.