This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/north_east/6139612.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Two killed as wave strikes tanker | Two killed as wave strikes tanker |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Two men have died and a third has been airlifted to hospital after being hit by a huge wave on an oil tanker in the Pentland Firth. | Two men have died and a third has been airlifted to hospital after being hit by a huge wave on an oil tanker in the Pentland Firth. |
| The incident happened after the tanker left Scapa Flow, Orkney, heading for Houston in Texas in what were described as "horrendous" weather conditions. | The incident happened after the tanker left Scapa Flow, Orkney, heading for Houston in Texas in what were described as "horrendous" weather conditions. |
| The wave struck the men as they stood on the deck of the FR8 Venture, which turned back after the incident. | The wave struck the men as they stood on the deck of the FR8 Venture, which turned back after the incident. |
| The third man was in a serious condition in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. | The third man was in a serious condition in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. |
| The alarm was raised at 1240 GMT on Saturday when the Singapore-registered tanker contacted Shetland Coastguard to report that three crewmen had been injured. | The alarm was raised at 1240 GMT on Saturday when the Singapore-registered tanker contacted Shetland Coastguard to report that three crewmen had been injured. |
| Winched on board | |
| A coastguard rescue helicopter from Stornoway was scrambled to assist and Longhope RNLI lifeboat was launched with a doctor on board. | A coastguard rescue helicopter from Stornoway was scrambled to assist and Longhope RNLI lifeboat was launched with a doctor on board. |
| The doctor was winched on board the vessel, but found that two of the crew had died. | The doctor was winched on board the vessel, but found that two of the crew had died. |
| The third was taken to hospital in the coastguard helicopter. | The third was taken to hospital in the coastguard helicopter. |
| The coastguard said the tanker had entered the Pentland Firth when the wave came over the bow of the tanker. | The coastguard said the tanker had entered the Pentland Firth when the wave came over the bow of the tanker. |
| A coastguard helicopter was scrambled | |
| Neil Cummins, watch manager at Shetland Coastguard, said conditions at the time had been "horrendous". | |
| "There were westerly winds of force eight to force 10, that's somewhere around 60mph, very heavy seas and a high swell," he said. | |
| "The vessel is 42,000 gross tonnes, a very large crude oil carrier, and it took the wave over the bow. The three men working on the front end were hit by it. | |
| "The ship has now returned to an anchorage in the Orkney islands in Scapa Flow." | |
| He said the helicopter and lifeboat crew had worked in extreme weather conditions to save the life of the third crewman. |