A MAN plunged to his death on a rig in the Cromarty Firth yesterday.
Work stopped immediately “as a mark of respect” and an investigation into his death has now been launched.
A Northern Constabulary spokesman confirmed the man had died following a fall on the rig at the harbour on Shore Road yesterday.
“The incident was reported to police at around 6.50am,” he said.
“Officers and other emergency personnel attended the scene. The matter has been reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
“A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”
He added that the force would not be naming the man until all his next of kin had been informed.
Police would not say how far the worker had fallen but confirmed the man did not land in the water.
An HSE spokeswoman said the agency was making preliminary inquiries alongside Northern Constabulary.
A spokeswoman for Transocean confirmed that the man worked for the company and the incident had happened on the rig, which was tied up alongside the quay.
She said: “Northern Constabulary are investigating the incident and the man’s family have been informed of his death.
“We’re providing whatever help and support we can to the family at this difficult time.”
She added that the Transocean employee was not local to the area.
“We suspended work on the rig on Wednesday as a mark of respect,” said the spokeswoman.
The spokeswoman added that a meeting would be held today to decide when work would resume.
Refitting work was being carried out on the rig 24 hours a day, with employees staying ashore rather than in the accommodation on the installation.
The death fall on the Transocean Sedco 712 rig was the second fatal incident at the Easter Ross port in recent years.
Scaffolder Lewis MacDonald, 35, died after falling 130ft from the Ocean Princess rig, which was alongside at Invergordon harbour on November 28, 2008.
A fatal accident inquiry in July 2010 heard evidence from colleagues that Mr MacDonald, of Alness, who worked for Invergordon-based McDonald Scaffolding Services, fell into the sea after stepping on a corroded metal grating on the deck of the rig, owned by Aberdeen-based Diamond Offshore Drilling.
In his official judgment, which was published in February last year, Sheriff David Sutherland called his death a “tragic accident” and said no further precautions should have been taken to avoid the accident.