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The oil rig support vessel Bourbon Dolphin, which capsized 100 miles off the coast of Shetland
The oil rig support vessel Bourbon Dolphin, which capsized 100 miles off the coast of Shetland. Photograph: John Soanes/PA
The oil rig support vessel Bourbon Dolphin, which capsized 100 miles off the coast of Shetland. Photograph: John Soanes/PA

Eight presumed dead after oil tug sinks

This article is more than 16 years old

A 15-year-old schoolboy is among eight people presumed dead today after rescuers called off the search for survivors of a capsized oil rig vessel.

Royal Navy divers called off the search after the anchor-handling tug, the Bourbon Dolphin, sank 100 miles off the coast of Shetland yesterday. Three other crewmen have already been confirmed dead.

The coastguard spokesman said: "Navy divers dived on the ship and on the wheelhouse but found nothing. And that is all they were able to achieve."

Of the ship's crew, 14 were from Norway, most of them from Fosnavag, a small town in Heroy, a district of western Norway, and one from Denmark. The Norwegian teenager, who was a pupil at Ytre Heroy high school, was on work experience.

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.

Ten people were recovered from the vessel last night; eight soon after the incident occurred. Another two were plucked from the water by helicopter about two hours later. Seven crew were airlifted to Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick, Shetland last night.

Representatives from Bourbon Offshore, which owns the sunken vessel, and family members arrived in Lerwick this afternoon.

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 vessel, which is less than one year old, had been working near the Rosebank oilfield when it capsized. It is still connected to the Transocean Rather rig by an anchor chain, said coastguards.

The rig's 99 crew members were all accounted for and 72 non-essential personnel were transferred off the facility.

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