Scot dies after falling in water off Spanish coast

A Scottish crewman has died after falling into the water as he returned to his ship in the Canary Islands.

Colin Gillespie, a crane operator, was returning to the Stena ICEMAX drilling vessel in Las Palmas when he is believed to have fallen from the quayside around 11:30pm on Saturday evening.

He was pulled from the water, but died.

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

“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,” a statement from the company said. “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 underway into this tragic accident and our deepest sympathy goes to family members and next of kin.”

The Stena ICEMAX is a harsh environment vessel that can drill in water depths up to 10,000ft and can accommodate 180 people.