Scottish law chiefs have ruled out holding a fatal accident inquiry into the capsize of a supply vessel off Shetland which claimed the lives of the captain, his teenage son and six other men.
The Bourbon Dolphin turned turtle when an operation to shift the anchor of a drilling rig went wrong in 2007.
A Norwegian inquiry into the tragedy found safety failings by three firms – owner Bourbon Offshore, operator Chevron and rig owner Transocean – were factors in the accident.
But last night the Crown Office confirmed that there will not be a separate inquiry in Scotland to learn lessons from the tragedy.
“After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the publication of the findings of the comprehensive Norwegian Royal Commission Inquiry which fully considered the events surrounding the Bourbon Dolphin tragedy, Crown counsel concluded that it was not a case in which it would be in the public interest to hold a fatal accident inquiry,” a spokesman said.
The Bourbon Dolphin capsized when an anchor-handling operation for the Transocean Rather turned into a disaster in the Atlantic.
She was pulling a heavy anchor chain which suddenly slid across to the side of the deck and started to drag the vessel over.
The two main engines stopped and seconds later the boat turned turtle. Seven of the 15 crew survived, but captain Oddne Arve Remoy, 44, and his son, David, 14, were among the eight people who died.
The Health and Safety Executive investigated the incident and reported Transocean Offshore (North Sea) Limited, Chevron North Sea Limited and Trident Offshore Limited to the fiscal.
But the Crown has confirmed that no criminal action will be taken.
The ill-fated operation was planned and overseen by maritime consultancy firm Trident – which has also been told it faces no further action.
Bourbon Offshore was fined £500,000 in Norway because the company failed to give the ship’s new captain, Mr Remoy, enough time to learn about the vessel, her crew and the complex operation. He had only 90 minutes before taking over.