Investigation into MV Alfred grounding begins

A team of inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has arrived in the county following yesterday’s grounding of the mv Alfred.

An investigation is now under way into the circumstances behind the incident, which saw the ferry stricken upon the shores of Swona at around 2pm on Tuesday.

The Pentland Ferries vessel was later freed from the rocks and made her way back to St Margaret’s Hope under her own steam, but not before some passengers were evacuated onto RNLI vessels.

In a statement yesterday, Pentland Ferries confirmed that an investigation into the incident and the damage it has caused would take placed, and that some injuries had been sustained as a result of the accident.

Sailings are currently suspended until Sunday, July 10. Pentland Ferries has offered its sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused, and is currently in the process of contacting customers individually.

A spokeswoman for the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said on Wednesday: “The MAIB is aware of the grounding of the ferry Alfred in the Pentland Firth on July 5, 2022, resulting in damage to the vessel, embarked vehicles and passenger injuries.

“A preliminary assessment of the accident has commenced; this will involve deploying a team of inspectors to assess the vessel and recovering evidence, in order to determine the next steps.

“The MAIB will update on its intentions once the preliminary assessment of the accident is complete.”