Man dies after falling overboard from Hjaltland passenger ferry

A man who fell overboard from the Hjaltland as she sailed from Aberdeen to Kirkwall and Lerwick last night has died.

Aberdeen Coastguard was alerted at around 8.20pm that the man was in the water north of Fraserburgh and a rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth was sent to the scene.

The ferry crew launched a fast rescue craft and managed to pull the man from the water. He was airlifted and flown to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary but pronounced dead.

A police spokesman said that early indications were that there were no suspicious circumstances. Details of the man’s identity will not be released until nxt of kin have been informed.

Stuart Garret, managing director of Serco NorthLink Ferries, said: “All of us here at NorthLink were saddened to be informed of the death of a man who fell overboard on the  MV Hjaltland sailing from Aberdeen to Kirkwall and Lerwick last night.”

He added that NorthLink was fully co-operating with Grampian Police to assist the investigations.

Hjaltland was slightly late into Lerwick this morning.