Bourbon Dolphin sinks soon after the beginning of salvage operations
Following the accident of the Bourbon Dolphin, which occurred on April 12th off the Shetland Islands, claiming 8 lives, the ship sunk at 9.16 pm local time and is lying at 3,600 feet (1100 m).
SMIT SALVAGE started the salvage operations in the middle of the day on
April 15th after a complete survey of the situation.
The Salvage Team was composed of 2 tugs with crew and material, 4
specialized divers and one Salvage Master in charge of the operations.
The ship was first disconnected from the rig, and as the weather conditions
became bad (25 knot south-westerly wind and 4 meter high waves), it became
destabilized and then sunk before towage was possible.
For the time being, most of the SMIT SALVAGE teams have left the zone,
except for one tug that remains for the moment on the zone to monitor the
current situation.
Right from the start BOURBON’s teams have done all they could to help,
support and comfort the families in this painful situation. Jacques de
Chateauvieux and Christian Lefèvre, respectively Chief Executive Officer and
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of BOURBON and Trond Myklebust, Managing Director
of Bourbon Offshore Norway, were also present immediately with the families and
are still by their side.
Yesterday, to give support to the seamen’s families, religious services
were held on the Shetland Islands and in Norway. In Norway the representative of
the King of Norway, the mayor of the commune of Heroy and Jacques de
Chateauvieux spoke at the service alongside church ministers.
The Management of BOURBON and Bourbon Offshore Norway wish strength and
faith to those who suffer today. They also address their personal thanks to all
those who, in Scotland, in Norway and in France, took part and helped to carry
out the operations in the best possible way.
All BOURBON’s staff is now waiting to learn of the detailed circumstances
and the probable causes of this accident, to understand how such an accident
could have occurred. This will no doubt take several weeks of official
investigations.
The responsibility of the police Inquiry has been transferred from the
British to the Norwegian authorities who have appointed a Commission of maritime
affairs.