Helicopter with 18 on board ditches in the North Sea

[oobster]

Just seen a newsflash - a helicopter has ditched in the North Sea with 18 on board.

Hopefully everyone will be rescued cold but alive and well.

[oobster]

Apologies - this thread can be deleted - fathomfive started a similar thread literally 2 mins before I started this one.

[onlynik]

Sky has reported that life jacket lights and PLBs have been seen.

Have to wait and see.

Feel absolutly awful for the guys nad their families.

[oobster]

BBC News 24 ticker is saying all 18 have been rescued and are "safe and well".

[onlynik]

oobster said:

BBC News 24 ticker is saying all 18 have been rescued and are "safe and well".

Thank fk.

[Eric Mc]

Fairly inhospitable place to have to swim.

Any news on the type and operator?

[fathomfive]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/789...

It's a bit quiet on my thread...


Glad to read everyone's safe.

[screem]

I have a very good friend who works in the forties field, normally on Alpha. Any news on which platform this was?

[Semi hemi]

ETAP field. BBC say Super Puma but no mention of operator

[Kiltie]

Eric Mc said:

Fairly inhospitable place to have to swim.

Any news on the type and operator?

Super Puma - it'll either be CHC Scotia or Bristow.

Cheers,

Eric

[Steve996]

It was a super puma enroute to ETAP's had 16 pax and the usual 2 crew.

Apparently went down on final approach and was seen by the crew on the platform and called in by them.

It was a decent night with only a little 2-3m swell and a touch of fog so they were pretty lucky. The weather in a couple of days wouldn't have been so favourable.....

Great to see they've all be saved. Will be watching for the safety flash/incident feedback with interest though.

Will be interesting to hear how they were rescued also as BP have done away with traditional stand-by boats and replaced with their Jigsaw offshore based rescue helicopters/daughter craft arrangment. Quite a bit of infrastructure in that area though.

[Steve996]

Kiltie said:

Eric Mc said:

Fairly inhospitable place to have to swim.

Any news on the type and operator?

Super Puma - it'll either be CHC Scotia or Bristow.

Cheers,

Eric

Is it not Bond that BP use? I thought they had the exclusive contract with BP for a few Puma's.

Bristow's call them the Tiger but I think they are essentially the same air frame.

[onlynik]

BP - Bonds use Super Puma

[Steve996]

Just checked the Bond website;

Looks like the one in question was going to be dropping in past the Galaxy as well.

88J BP 17:40 Abz-ETAP-Galaxy 1-Abz 20:10

[onlynik]

Steve996 said:

Will be interesting to hear how they were rescued also as BP have done away with traditional stand-by boats and replaced with their Jigsaw offshore based rescue helicopters/daughter craft arrangment. Quite a bit of infrastructure in that area though.

BBC News said:

Three were rescued by a Bond company helicopter

Seems like JIGSAW works. Which can onlt be good.

[Semi hemi]

Latest on Beeb
"People on board the installation saw the incident unfold, and raised the alarm with the coastguard.

There were initial reports of lifejacket lights being seen in the water, and signals being picked up from personal locator beacons, which are attached to lifejackets.

Three flares were also reported to have been seen from the platform, and parts of helicopter fuselage were seen on the surface.

Four helicopters, including three in-field aircraft and a Sea King from RAF Lossiemouth, took part in the rescue.

A Nimrod from RAF Kinloss was also scrambled.

NHS Grampian said A&E staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary were now on full alert and they were expecting 18 patients"

[sparkythecat]

Luckier than the lads who crashed in similar circumstances in Morecambe Bay a couple of years ago

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6213141.stm

[10 Pence Short]

sparkythecat said:

Luckier than the lads who crashed in similar circumstances in Morecambe Bay a couple of years ago

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6213141.stm

A good friend of mine had been working on that rig only the week before.

[BckFlash]

Great news that all of the guys were rescued safe and well!

3 are in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and the other 15 are expected to arrive in Aberdeen harbour (presumably on a standby boat) at 5am.

Wikipedia has been updated already.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Trough_Area_P...

Speak about quick off the mark!