Salvage operation begins

A salvage operation to recover the oil rig vessel which overturned, claiming up to eight lives, is under way.A 15-year-old schoolboy on work experience, his father and six other crewmen are presumed dead after rescuers called off the search for survivors from the Bourbon Dolphin, which overturned on Thursday afternoon, 75 miles north west of Shetland.There were 15 Norwegian crew aboard the handling supply tug, which was undertaking a routine operation at the drilling rig Transocean Rather when it capsized at 5.20pm.Ten of the crew were recovered, but three of those were later confirmed dead.Last night Shetland Coastguard confirmed the search for the remaining crew had been called off.Neville Davis of Shetland Coastguard said: "After an intensive search we must now accept that despite tremendous efforts from all rescue units involved, it is extremely unlikely that the five missing crew will be found alive and our sympathies are with the families of the crew at this time."We would like to thank all the rescue units and vessels involved in this operation who have made every effort possible and thankfully did bring seven survivors to safety."Royal Navy divers from Faslane dived on the ship and on the wheelhouse, but found nothing and it was deemed too dangerous to try and get inside the hull.Seven survivors were airlifted to Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick, Shetland and representatives from Bourbon Offshore and family members arrived in Lerwick on Friday.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.The 250ft ship, which is less than one year old, had been working in the vicinity of the Rosebank oilfield when it capsized just over a mile from the rig.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

ITN | April 14, 2007

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