(Update 3 October 8 am) Rescue teams have recovered three more bodies of crew members that died following the sinking of tug supply vessel Bourbon Rhode. Of the fourteen crew members, four have now been found dead, while three were rescued. The other seven are still missing.
On Monday 30 September, Bourbon Offshore reported finding the first body by one of the aircraft involved in the search. This body was recovered by one of the five commercial vessels that came to assist. The next two bodies were recovered at sea that same evening and transferred on the French navy frigate Ventôse. On 1 October, the body of the fourth seafarer was discovered and also transferred on the French frigate.
‘On behalf of all Bourbon employees, I would like to pay tribute to the deceased sailors. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones who are grieving over this dramatic event. We stand in full solidarity with them in this ordeal and assure them of our strongest support. Research operations are continuing on this sixth day and the mobilisation of the maritime world is unprecedented. I would like to express our gratitude to all the research teams and those who volunteer,’ says Bourbon Corporation CEO Gaël Bodénès.
The Bourbon Rhode sank after it got hit by category 4 hurricane Lorenzo while en route to Georgetown in Guyana. Three crew members were able to escape the sinking ship in a lifeboat and have been rescued. Rescue aircrafts this weekend spotted a second lifeboat which had capsized.
Rescue operations are continuing to find the other crew members, with maritime and air search resources deployed by the French and American authorities.
Picture by Bourbon Group.
