AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into the death of a man who was pulled from the water at Rosyth Dockyard.

The 72-year-old, who has not been named, passed away last Thursday following the incident, which happened just after 4pm.

Emergency service crews, as well as HM Coastguard teams and a lifeboat from South Queensferry RNLI, raced to the scene following reports of concern for a person.

The man, who was working as a crew member of UK Dredging, a subcontractor of Babcock, was recovered from the water but was pronounced dead.

A probe into the incident has been launched by the Marine Accident Investigation Board, who started an investigation into the “fatal injury to a crewman on a dredger during a berthing operation in Rosyth, Scotland”, but could not release any further details.

Police Scotland said: “Police in Fife were called to Rosyth Royal Dockyard shortly after 4pm on Thursday following a report of concern for a person.

“A 72-year-old man was recovered from the water and sadly pronounced dead by the Scottish Ambulance Service. His family have now been informed and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”

A spokesperson for Babcock commented: “We are shocked and saddened by the tragic death of a crew member of our subcontractor UK Dredging, following an operational incident at Rosyth on Thursday. Our thoughts are with the family of the person who lost their life.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Ambulance Service added: “We received a call at 4.01pm on Thursday February 28 to attend an incident at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife. A Paramedic Response Unit, an ambulance and our Specialist Operations Response Team were dispatched to the scene.”

HM Coastguard confirmed that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s enforcement team had also been informed. UK Dredging did not respond to our request for comment.