|
Schoolboy, 15, amongst missing
from BOURBON DOLPHIN tragedy
Three dead in North Sea tragedy, fears for missing five
After confusion over numbers of survivors and missing it has been
confirmed that of the ten rescued yesterday from the capsized Anchor
Handling Tug Supply BOURBON DOLPHIN, three have died.
Five persons remain unaccounted for, including tragically a father and
son. The 15 year
old schoolboy was believed to have been on work experience.
The ten survivors that had been found yesterday were taken to
hospital, but three of them died.
The search and rescue mission has now now become a search and recovery
one with divers returning to their Clyde base at Faslane today.
A coastguard spokeswoman held little hope of finding the missing five
alive. "It would be a miracle if they had survived all night in five
degrees, freezing water. It's very sad." she said.
Trond Myklebust, manager director of Bourbon Norway described what had
happened as "incredible" and expressed his disbelief at what had
happened to the vessel, which was brand new, only having been
delivered by its shipbuilders Ulstein of Norway to Bourbon late last
year. "This is a common task and a common job in the whole area and
it's absolutely incredible what has happened. We cannot understand it
or believe it because this should not happen." the BBC reported him
saying.
As to speculation about what could have happened to the vessel, it
would appear she had been handling an anchor for the rig Transocean
Rather at the time and that the anchor may have slipped, making the
vessel unstable. However, this is the very task she is designed to do.
Jake Malloy, general secretary of the Offshore Industry Liaison
Committee (OILC) said that he was unaware of anything like this
accident in 25 years of working in the industry. Richard Crowther,
regional operations manager for the MCA described it as 'very unusual'
for a very modern vessel to capsize and that something clearly had
gone 'very wrong'.
It is being reported that the vessel is still connected to the rig and
that the number of employees on board it have been reduced to
essential staff only. All crew of the rig have been accounted for.
In an update to their previous statement last night the vessel's
shipbuilders issued another statement from their CEO, Gunvor Ulstein,
saying:
"Our thoughts are with the relatives, friends and colleagues of the
deceased and missing. This is a tragic incident that strikes hard
"The reasons for the accidents are not known. In focus now is the
rescue work and the work being done for the implied. The maritime
inquiry will hopefully make clear the course of events. We will not
speculate further in this".
Meanwhile Bourbon Offshore have announced that In the course of
this morning Bourbon Offshore Norway
will send a plane to Lerwick, Shetland departing from Ålesund. On
board there will be relatives, police, two ministers to seamen and
representatives from Bourbon Offshore Norway.
The church in Fosnavåg will be a meeting place for relatives,
friends and colleagues of the Bourbon
Dolphin Crew from 14.00. A team consisting of representatives
from the church, public health service and the municipal
administration will attend the meeting. All available information will
be given at this meeting.
Bourbon describe the situation as 'a terrible tragedy' and the their
priority is the rescue of the 5 missing people and support to the
families of those involved
The next of kin phone lines will continue to be open and relatives
will still be taken care of at the
Bourbon Offshore Norway office.
Relatives Information Phone: +47 70 08 60 25/ +47 70 08 60
21
|
