Dundee rig worker dies in Gran Canaria

Colin Gillespie is believed to have suffered head injuries in fall from ship

A Dundee oil worker has died after falling from a ship in Gran Canaria.

Colin Gillespie, 53, was seen in the water near the Stena Icemax in the early hours of Sunday morning.

He was pulled from the water and was pronounced dead at the scene, despite the efforts of his colleagues and paramedics to revive him.

It is understood he suffered head injuries in the fall.

His ship had been berthed at Luz Port, the largest port of Gran Canaria’s capital city, Las Palmas.

Police investigating the death say there is no evidence to suggest any suspicious circumstances.

It is understood Mr Gillespie had just returned to the ship after a day off.

An autopsy was carried out yesterday but the results have not been made public.

Mr Gillespie was a former pupil of Menzieshill High School.

He worked as a crane operator for Stena for the past 17 years.

His wife Samantha was too upset to comment yesterday.

The Stena Icemax has recently been carrying out exploration work off the Irish coast.

It was in the Canary Islands for maintenance work.

Stena Drilling, which is based in Aberdeen, has launched an investigation into the incident.

A statement from the company said: “Stena Drilling Limited can 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 coordinated through the shorebased 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.”

Mr Gillespie is believed to have grown up in Lochee but recently resided in the west end of the city.

The Stena Icemax is a harsh environment vessel, which can drill in water depths up to 10,000ft and has accommodation for 180 people.

Colin Gillespie from Dundee died after falling from a drilling vessel in Gran Canaria.