AN investigation has been launched after a dock worker was killed in a 30ft fall at a North-East port on Sunday.

The 59-year-old, named locally as Bob Harrison, was supervising the loading of steel tubes into the hold of a cargo ship, the Bright Ocean, at the PD Ports-run Irvine’s Quay, in Ferry Road, Hartlepool , when he fell down a hatch.

He landed on the steel floor of the ship’s hold, suffering spine and head injuries.

Despite the efforts of firefighters, paramedics and a doctor flown in by the Great North Air Ambulance, he died shortly after his arrival by helicopter at The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.

The ship’s crew alerted emergency services at 7.30pm on Sunday. A doctor was lowered into the hold, where he treated the injured man before he was put into the air ambulance and taken to hospital.

Watch manager Jason Wood, from Stranton fire station, said: “We arrived at about the same time as the air ambulance and doctors and helped with manpower and lighting.

“A crane was used to get the man out of the hold and he was then placed into the air ambulance by about 8.40pm and flown to hospital.”

A PD Ports spokeswoman said operations at the Port of Hartlepool were suspended for the day yesterday as a mark of respect.

The spokeswoman added: “I can confirm that there has been a fatal accident at the Port of Hartlepool. This is now the subject of a major investigation and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the man’s family and friends at this time.”

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said investigations were ongoing, but she expected the case to be handed over to the Health and Safety Executive.

Mr Harrison has yet to be formally identified but he is understood to have worked at PD Ports, previously the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority, for many years.