OFFSHORE WORKER COLIN , 53, KILLED IN CANARIES HARBOUR PLUNGE
Crewmates tried in vain to save his life
A SCOTTISH offshore worker died when he fell into a harbour in the Canary Islands.
Crane operator Colin Gillespie was heading back to the Stena IceMAX drilling vessel in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, late on Saturday night when he plunged from the quayside.
Crewmates pulled the 53-year-old from the water but he could not be saved.
Port workers later told local media that Colin appeared to have “suffered a strong blow to the front of his body” and that nobody saw him fall.
Relatives gathered at the Gillespie family home in Dundee yesterday but they declined to comment on the tragedy.
Bosses at Stena Drilling, whose headquarters are in Aberdeen, have launched an investigation.
A company statement said: “Stena Drilling Limited confirm a tragic accident has occurred involving one of our crew members whilst returning from shore leave to the vessel Stena IceMAX in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.
“The crane operator was returning to the ship on Saturday night, when it appears that he fell from the quayside into the water.
“He was recovered from the water and emergency medical response procedures were initiated. But sadly he did not recover.
“Relevant Spanish authorities have been notified, with support services being co-ordinated through the shore-based incident response team at Stena Drilling’s head office.
“An investigation is under way into this tragic accident and our deepest sympathy goes to family members and next of kin.”
The Stena IceMAX is a harsh environment vessel which can drill in water depths up to 10,000ft and has accommodation for 180 people.
It is a frequent visitor to the Canaries and was undergoing maintenance work during the current visit.
It had been carrying out exploration work off the Irish coast during the summer.
Las Palmas police said they hope a post-mortem will show the cause of death but indications are that the fall was an accident.