The Bourbon Rhode offshore tug supply vessel that found itself near the eye of the hurricane Lorenzo on Thursday has sunk in the Atlantic, Bourbon Offshore, the owner of the vessel has confirmed. Three crew members have been rescued, while the search for the remaining eleven crew members is underway.
The Bourbon Rhode had been on its way from Las Palmas to Guyana, when it sent a distress call on Thursday, reporting of water ingress in the rear part of the vessel. The vessel, with 14 crew members aboard was at the time in transit at 1200 nautical miles off Martinique island and 60 nautical miles South-South East from the eye of category 4 hurricane “Lorenzo.”
Bourbon on Thursday evening said that bulk carrier “SSI EXCELLENT” was asked to change its route and assist the Bourbon Rhode. The bulk carrier had been located 200 nautical miles south of the last known location of the 2006-built Bourbon Rhode.
In an update on Saturday, Bourbon Offshore said: “In the context of search operations of tug supply vessel Bourbon Rhode started on September 26, the mobilized rescue teams have recovered a lifeboat with 3 crew members on board, the lifeboat having been identified by a Falcon 50 [jet aircraft] especially equipped for this type of mission and sent by the French Navy.
According to (unofficial) information from the Facebook group BOURBON RHODE RESCUE, the rescued members are one Russian and two Ukrainians.
“The 3 crew members are currently taken in charge by the medical support team onboard the commercial vessel, which provided assistance, and are currently placed under medical observation,” Bourbon said.
Bourbon on Saturday also confirmed that the vessel had sunk, and said that the search continued to be carried out “in weather conditions that are improving.”
“All necessary means are implemented by the Cross AG and the French Navy, under the authority of the Prefect representing the State’s maritime authority, namely numerous flyovers carried out by the Falcon 50 over the search zone. Numerous commercial vessels have had their course changed in order to bring assistance, as well as a plane of the U.S. National Hurricane Center,” Bourbon Offshore said.
“The crisis cell put into place by BOURBON works in very close collaboration with the Cross AG and the French Navy. BOURBON’s teams are mobilized to keep the families of the crew members informed and bring them full support in this difficult time. An update on the situation will be published soon,” the French offshore vessel owner said on Saturday afternoon.
The Croatian news website Večernji has reported that the captain of the ship is Dino Miškić, from Šibenik, Croatia. He is reportedly one of the eleven crew members still missing.
Source: Offshore Energy Today