Royal Navy opens investigation after sailors ‘poisoned’ by drinking water
HMS Portland tracks Admiral Gorshkov and tanker in the background
The Royal Navy is conducting an investigation, after numerous sailors aboard HMS Portland were hospitalised after drinking contaminated water.
The frigate has been diverted to a naval base in Portsmouth, after the Navy realised the “wrong chemical” had been used in the ship’s fresh-water reverse osmosis system, which converts seawater into drinking water.
No-one has been seriously injured, and nearly all sailors have now been discharged from Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth. All of those impacted are expected to make a total recovery.
MoD has confirmed @HMSPortland made an unplanned return this afternoon following contamination from a mistake operating reverse osmosis freshwater-making system.
— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) February 3, 2023
A few sailors made ill and taken to hospital in Portsmouth. https://t.co/sBrOpOtadx
Speaking to media, a navy spokesperson says: “The recent issue with contaminated water in HMS Portland will be investigated thoroughly.
“We take the health and welfare of our people very seriously and will review processes to ensure this does not happen again.”
The Telegraph reports a Ministry of Defence source who says the incident was caused by “human error” and the person “owned up straight away”. It is still unclear what substance the water was contaminated with.
The contamination comes weeks after the Navy announced that HMS Portland is tracking Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov, which has hypersonic missiles, through the North Sea.
