Bourbon Rhode Search Winding Down

Bourbon has released a statement indicating that the search for survivors from the Bourbon Rhode is winding down.

Search operations carried out since September 26 by the CROSS French West Indies-Guyana  (Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue) and the French Navy have led to the recovery of three survivors and the bodies of four others. Seven crewmembers remain missing.

The Luxembourg-flag tug supply vessel was in transit 1,200 nautical miles off Martinique Island and 60 nautical miles South-South East from the eye of category 4 hurricane Lorenzo when she began taking on water at the stern in the adverse weather conditions.

Bourbon said in a statement that several vessels have continued to survey the search area on Saturday, with no results for the past four days. “The CROSS has decided to make the search operation evolve. It will regularly disseminate messages to vessels in the shipwreck zone and ask them to carry out adapted watch.”

“Bourbon and all its employees are in mourning today, and I would like to reiterate our sincere condolences and our full support to the families and loved ones of the victims,” said CEO Gael Bodénès. “We are working in close cooperation with the various stakeholders to understand the facts and circumstances of this tragedy. Finally, we thank the entire maritime community for its many signs of solidarity, so precious in these difficult times. I would like to reiterate our heartfelt thanks to the CROSS teams, the crews of the French Navy and the commercial vessels involved in search operations.”