ONE man has died and three others are suffering from ‘extreme’ hypothermia after falling from a ship at Royal Portbury Docks.

The incident happened yesterday afternoon (Monday), when the four men, all aged between their late teens and early 30s, fell from container ship MV Tombarra into the freezing sea.

Emergency crews were alerted by port operators shortly after 4pm, with five fire appliances, including a rescue boat, an air ambulance and specialist ambulance crews dispatched to the scene.

Port rescue workers and medics worked together to pull the men from the water and administer urgent medical treatment.

All four were in critical condition from the cold conditions, with medics saying one man had suffered a cardiac arrest.

And although the injured men, who were all from the Philippines, were taken to Bristol Royal Infirmary for intensive treatment, one 23-year-old patient could not be saved.

Danny Hopkins, operations support manager for Great Western Ambulance Service, said: “All four patients were taken to BRI, each accompanied by a critical care paramedic – one of them travelling in Royal Portbury Docks’ own ambulance.

“While we don’t know for certain how long they were in the water, they have all suffered profound hypothermia – one patient was in cardiac arrest at the scene, while the others are all at risk of doing so as they are gradually warmed up in hospital.”

The other three men are believed to be responding to treatment, although medics say the next 24-48 hours will be ‘critical’.

Port police and maritime authorities are now investigating the cause of the incident.