The death of a worker who plunged from a North Sea oil platform is being investigated by police and safety experts.
Officers have arrived at the Harding platform, around 200 miles north-east of Aberdeen.
Oil firm TAQA said it was an “extremely sad time” for the company, who employed the 62-year-old man.
Meanwhile, more than 70 workers have been flown off the rig as production of the 120,000 barrels-a-day operation is ceased while investigations into Thursday’s early morning incident gets underway.
Jake Molloy, regional RMT organiser for the offshore industry, said answers were required over the circumstances of the death, particularly given the hour of the tragedy.
“Until we know the circumstances it is difficult to comment but what seems strange is that the worker went into the sea around 2am,” Molloy said.
“I can’t imagine what put him in that situation given that he would have to have been working outwith the platform structure, working at height or working over the side.
“It would be unusual for anybody to be working over the side like this at night. However, I do not want to speculate at this stage.
“This is a highly regrettable fatality and it is the first we have had for a number of years.”
TAQA said that the man fell overboard during maintenance work on the platform, at around 2.15am.
He was recovered from the sea by a support vessel and transferred to Lerwick’s Gilbert Bain Hospital in Shetland by helicopter.
Next of kin have been informed, a spokesman said, with formal identification due today.
“Our immediate thoughts are with the family and friends of our colleague at this extremely sad time. TAQA is providing its fullest support to all those involved,” he added.
All other 108 people on board the Harding platform were accounted for shortly after the accident. Around 35 were kept on the platform for essential work but the remainder were flown off yesterday afternoon as production was halted.
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “The investigation is currently being treated as a work-related death and Police Scotland are working with partners, carrying out a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive and under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to determine the full circumstances.”
