A new safety device which could have prevented the Bourbon Dolphin disaster off Shetland has been launched – after a remarkable six-year battle by its inventor.
Petter Birkeland began designing and building a rapid chain cutter after the anchor-handling vessel capsized in 2007, killing eight people on board. But his mission – and his life – was almost cut short in 2011 when an explosion rocked his factory on the Norwegian coast.
He was left in a coma for 22 days after more than half of his body was covered in third-degree burns. He even had to learn to walk again.
However, he battled back to health to complete his invention – called ControlCutter.
And now the anchor-handling vessel Skandi Vega has become the first vessel to install the technology.
“This is a major breakthrough for the company and takes ControlCutter from being a development concept into a viable com-mercial product,” Mr Birkeland said.
The Bourbon Dolphin capsized when an anchor-handling operation for the Trans-ocean Rather turned into a fatal 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 those who died.
Mr Birkeland’s invention can cut through an anchor chain in two seconds and has two methods for cutting – if one fails, the other can be used to cut the chain.
“It can prevent fatal accidents like the Bourbon Dolphin accident,” Mr Birkeland said.
“The ControlCutter will enable the crew to cut the chains, and provide a safer working environment for the crew and secure the vessel.”
The doctors kept Birkeland in the artificial coma for 22 days after the explosion. Just under 64% of his body had received third-degree burns – he also caught pneumonia and blood poisoning.
He added: “The doctors say it is going to be hard to survive something like that, and believe that I got away with it because I was so well trained.
“I had to learn to walk again. It was just terrible.
“But when I have made up my mind about something, I’m going to make it.
“I wasn’t going to let me crack.
“I knew that I wanted to live more, with my wife, with my kids.”
Meanwhile Scottish law chiefs have ruled out holding a fatal accident inquiry into the capsize of the Bourbon Dolphin.
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 the Crown Office ruled that there will not be a separate inquiry in Scotland. 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 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 enough time to learn about the vessel, her crew and the complex operation. He had only 90 minutes before taking over.
The Bourbon Dolphin went down off Shetland with the loss of eight lives
Recommended for you
