Eight presumed dead after vessel capsizes
A schoolboy, his father and six other crewmen were presumed dead tonight after rescuers called off the search for survivors of a capsized oil rig vessel.
The 15-year-old boy, who was on work experience with his father, were understood to be among those lost in the Bourbon Dolphin, which overturned yesterday afternoon 75 miles north west of Shetland.
There were 15 Norwegian crew aboard the handling supply tug, which was undertaking a routine operation at the drilling rig Transocean Rather when it capsized at 5.20pm.
Ten of the crew were recovered last night but three were later confirmed dead.
Rescuers were pinning their hopes on the possibility that the five remaining crew members could have survived in an air pocket in the hull.
Royal Navy divers from Faslane on the Clyde had been searching for signs of life but they were forced to call off the search this afternoon.
The decision effectively brought an end to the possibility that the five could be rescued.
A Shetland spokesman said: “Navy divers dived on the ship and on the wheelhouse but found nothing. And that is all they were able to achieve.
“The diving operation is done and they are waiting to be picked up. In effect this operation is now at the salvage stage.”
Seven survivors were airlifted to Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick, Shetland last night.
Representatives from Bourbon Offshore and family members arrived in Lerwick this afternoon.
The 15-year-old was a pupil at Ytre Heroy High School in the small community of Heroy on the west coast of Norway.
Headmistress Solvi Remoy said: “It’s very, very sad and very, very tragic and it’s an awful day here for us because we are a very tight-knit community.
“The teachers, the pupils, the staff, everyone knows the family involved, everyone has been affected by this.”
The Norwegian owner of a Shetland cafe, who helped staff at the hospital communicate with the survivors, said the father of the missing boy was vessel captain Odne Remoy.
Reidar Vetvik, 65, who runs the Havly Centre in Lerwick, said: “The father and son were on the bridge of the vessel when it overturned.
“I just met them on Tuesday when they came into port. I think they were among the three drowned who were recovered yesterday.
“They (the father and son) were on the bridge when it capsized. The pressure on the chain with the currents pulled the boat over.
“The crew were thrown into the water with lifejackets. Some managed to get on to a life-raft which automatically opened. It was very cold.
“The survivors taken to hospital were suffering mainly from the effects of the cold water.”
Coastguards said the temperature of the water at the time would have been about 5C.
Bourbon Offshore managing director Trond Myklebust said: “This is the worst day in the company. It’s tragic for us but we are trying to focus on helping the relatives.
“At this stage we do not know how it happened. We only know it happened quickly.”
The 250ft ship, which is less than one year old, had been working in the vicinity of the Rosebank oilfield when it capsized just over a mile from the rig.
It is still connected to the facility by an anchor chain, said coastguards.
The 99 crew members of the Transocean Rather rig were all accounted for and 72 non-essential personnel were transferred off the facility.
The Bourbon Dolphin was performing a routine anchor-handling operation in fair weather conditions at the time of the incident and issued no distress call.
