Bourbon said on Tuesday it mourns the death of two other crew members of the Bourbon Rhode vessel that sunk in the Atlantic Ocean after encountering a hurricane while en route to Guyana.
“The bodies of our two mariners were recovered at sea last night and transferred on the French navy “Ventôse” frigate. Bourbon stands by the seafarers’ families and is fully mobilized to support them in this terrible time,” the company said.
The research operations carried out by the French authorities with the support of the US authorities are part of exceptional measures, further intensified in recent days. Since the beginning of the operations on September 26, ten commercial vessels have been mobilized in the area.
Daily overflights are performed by a Falcon 50 of the French Navy, supported by a C 130 Hercules aircraft from the US Coast Guards. The Navy frigate, accompanied by its helicopter “Panther”, is at the heart of the system and coordinates the grid of nearly 40 search areas.
“On behalf of all Bourbon employees, I would like to pay tribute to the deceased sailors. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones who are grieving over this dramatic event. We stand in full solidarity with them in this ordeal and assure them of our strongest support. Research operations are continuing on this sixth day and the mobilization of the maritime world is unprecedented. I would like to express our gratitude to all the research teams and those who volunteer ” Bourbon Corporation CEO Gaël Bodénès said.
An emergency beacon had indicated the Bourbon Rhode was in the center of Hurricane Lorenzo.
