A man has died in hospital after he was airlifted from the water following an incident on a Stena Line ferry. A HM Coastguard rescue helicopter from Caernarfon and RNLI teams from Rhyl and Llandudno were sent to the scene this morning after reports a man had gone overboard.
The Stena Line ship was travelling from Belfast to Birkenhead on Saturday when, during the early hours of the morning, there were reports of a missing man and emergency services were called. An eyewitness told the Echo they believed a person had fallen overboard and a spokesperson for the coastguard said a search was carried out shortly after 8am. A man was airlifted out of the water and taken to hospital at around 11am.
In an update this afternoon a spokesperson for Merseyside Police confirmed a 44-year-old man, from north Wales, has died in hospital following the incident. Enquiries have been carried out but the death is not being treated as suspicious and a file has been prepared for the coroner. The man’s next of kin have been informed.
A spokesperson for HM Coastguard told the Echo earlier today: “HM Coastguard coordinated the response to a report of a missing man from a passenger vessel off Liverpool. The alarm was raised at about 8.15am on 20 January and a search was carried out. The HM Coastguard helicopter from Caernarfon was sent as well as RNLI all-weather lifeboats from Hoylake, Rhyl, Lytham St Annes and Llandudno. A man was airlifted from the water by the HM Coastguard helicopter at about 11.20am, transferred to an ambulance and taken to hospital. Crosby Coastguard Rescue Team assisted by securing a helicopter landing site. Merseyside Police were informed.”