Crew Member Found Dead Aboard Platform Supply Vessel Off U.S. East Coast

A crew member died after a tragic incident that occurred on June 2 aboard a platform supply vessel, while it was carrying out operations in the Atlantic Ocean off the U.S. East Coast.

Tidewater confirmed the incident in an official statement, saying that emergency response protocols were immediately activated. Despite all efforts made by the vessel’s crew and emergency responders, the crew member did not survive.

The company expressed deep regret and offered condolences to the family, friends, and fellow seafarers affected by the loss. The cause of the incident has not yet been made public.

The United States Coast Guard has launched an investigation, and Tidewater has assured full cooperation with the authorities throughout the process. The company emphasised that the safety of its personnel remains its top priority.

The vessel involved is a DP2 platform supply vessel that was built in 2014 and is flagged in the United States. According to maritime tracking data from MarineTraffic, the ship arrived at New York Harbor on June 3 and remains moored at Port Bayonne in Upper New York Bay as of June 6.

Although the exact details of Polaris’s operations during the incident have not been revealed, the vessel was working under a subcontract with Equinor, which is currently developing the Empire Wind offshore wind project off the coast of New York.

Molly Morris, Senior Vice President of Equinor Renewables Americas, responded to the incident by calling it a “tragic marine accident” and extended heartfelt condolences to the deceased’s family, friends, and colleagues.

Legal firm Bracewell LLP, speaking on behalf of both Tidewater and Equinor, also confirmed the fatality and shared that the incident occurred while the Polaris was conducting normal offshore operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Empire Wind 1 project, which is connected to Equinor, is a $5 billion offshore wind farm expected to power around 500,000 homes in New York by 2027.

The project had previously been put on hold due to a stop-work order issued by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) under the Trump administration.

The project was suspended after former Interior Secretary Doug Burgum questioned the approval process of the previous government. The Empire Wind project has now resumed under the current administration.

Tidewater Inc., based in Houston, operates one of the largest fleets of offshore support vessels in the world.

References: Offshore mag

Source: Maritime Shipping News