One seafarer found dead from sunken Bourbon Rhode, 10 still missing

Offshore vessel owner Bourbon said that one of the aircraft involved in the search for the 11 missing crew from the Bourbon Rhode spotted the body and it has since been recovered by one of the five commercial vessels involved in the search and rescue operation. The company said the seafarer’s family had been immediately notified.

"All our thoughts and prayers go to his family and loved ones. This tragedy affects all Bourbon employees who express their full support to the seafarers' families,” said Gaël Bodénès ceo of Bourbon.

The search for the 10 seafarers that remain missing continues involving commercial vessels, the French Navy and air search capabilities from the US authorities.

“We remain fully mobilized on search operations to find the other missing seafarers and I would like to express our gratitude to the rescuers, all the teams of the CROSS (Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue) and the teams of the crisis cells who are working tirelessly to this end,” he said.

Three seafarers from the anchor handler owned by Bourbon were rescued from a lifeboat at the weekend and it was confirmed that the vessel that began taking on water on Thursday had sunk.

Read more: 11 missing, three rescued after offshore vessel Bourbon Rhode sinks

The Bourbon Rhode was in transit around 1,200 nm from Martinique and 60 nm from the category 4 hurricane Lorenzo on 26 September when it developed an ingress of water in the rear of the vessel.