Loch Ness Scotland shock and horror as boat woman's leg amputated

[Anonymous]

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Woman Loses Foot in Loch Ness Scotland Ship Horror.

Probe after cruise boat rope accident at canal locks.

An investigation has been launched after a woman sustained a
horrific leg injury working on a Loch Ness cruise ship.

It is understood French employee Aurelia Thabart had to have part
of a leg amputated after the accident involving the popular tourist
vessel Jacobite Queen.

Her leg got caught up in a ship's rope in the incident at
Dochgarroch Locks, near Inverness. Now Jacobite Cruises, which runs
the 63-year-old ship, is the subject of a UK Department of
Transport Investigation into the accident.

Aurelia, who is in her mid-20s and lives with her partner in
Culloden, was treated by Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics at
the scene and rushed to Raigmore Hospital by ambulance. It is
understood she spent a month receiving treatment there after an
amputation and was discharged from hospital last week.

This week the Marine Accident Investigation (MAI) branch of the
Department of Transport confirmed it is carrying out an
investigation into the accident, a spokeswoman for the Southampton-
based MAI said: "The MAI is conducting an office based enquiry.
They will work with the boat company to get information from them
about what happened. If some-thing comes up that people need to be
aware of they will issue a report".

She said no details on the investigation would be announced and
would not confirm if they had yet spoken to Aurelia. A spokeswoman
added: "We do not give a commentary of where we are in our
enquiries. Each enquiry is different, so we cannot give a
timescale".

Jacobite Cruises managing director Freda Newton said: "We have been
in contact with Aurelia and continue to offer our full support to
her and her family. We cannot comment further at this time as the
incident is being investigated by the Marine Accident Investigation
Branch."

Aurelia could not be contacted this week and it is believed she may
have returned to France to recuperate. A spokesperson for the
Scottish Ambulance Service said: "The ambulance was called out at
12.37pm on June 20 to a female who had a leg injury caused by rope
wrapping around her leg. She was transported to Raigmore Hospital
at 1.30pm."

The 23m Jacobite Queen can hold up to 159 passengers on its three
decks, and was refurbished and re-built by Jacobite Cruises 25
years ago. Jacobite Cruises tours Loch Ness and the Caledonian
Canal. The firm carries more than 135,000 passengers annually.

The accident happened just one week after Jacobite Cruises launched
its flagship cruiser and largest ship to date, the Jacobite
Warrior, which represented a �1 million investment and is equipped
to carry up to 1,500 people per day.

It also comes just a few days after Loch Ness tour boat skipper,
Gordon Menzies of Castle Cruises, Drumnadrochit, by Inverness
Scotland, (who is also a Loch Ness Royal National Lifeboat
Volunteer) had his boat impounded due to serious safety concerns by
officials. Both of these stories have not been widely reported and
where safety is concerned the impact of horrific life-changing
accidents on Loch Ness in the leisure boat industry should be fully
investigated.

Extracts from the Highland News 05.08.2012