A ferry company has launched an investigation after four men plummeted 50ft into the water while carrying out work on a rescue boat.
The men were on the boat as it was being hoisted up the side of the Stena Britannica superferry.
When the lifeboat fell, two of the men were thrown into the sea while the two who managed to stay on board withstood the full force of the boat hitting the water.
The Stena Britannica was docked in Harwich International Port when the incident took place.
Three ambulance crews rushed to Harwich International Port at about 8.50am yesterday when the alarm was raised.
It is believed one of the men broke his elbow during the incident.
A spokesman from Stena said: "We can confirm that four people were taken to hospital, three of these have since been discharged."
She said that three of the men on board were contracted to work for Stena while the fourth was a crew member.
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