A man has died after falling overboard from a Stena Line ferry near Cairnryan.

The incident is understood to have happened on the 15.30pm sailing from Belfast to the Scottish port on Saturday.

HM Coastguard was requested to assist the Stena Superfast 8 ferry after the alarm was raised around 5.45pm. 

Stranraer RNLI Lifeboat and RNLI Girvan Lifeboat were also alerted to Loch Ryan alongside Stranraer coastguard, HM Coastguard - Portpatrick, Ballantrae Coastguard Rescue Team and Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 199 from Prestwick.

The man was recovered from the water by Stena Superfast VIII Rescue craft and taken to University Hospital Ayr by Coastguard helicopter, where he was pronounced dead.

READ MORE: Probe over Grenfell material at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

Police said enquiries remain ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. 

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We received a report of a man having gone overboard from a ferry at Belfast Way, Cairnryan around 5.50pm on Saturday, 1 July, 2023.

“Emergency services attended and the man was taken to University Hospital Ayr, where he was pronounced dead.

“Enquiries to establish the full circumstances of the incident remain ongoing, however there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.

“A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal."