On August 23 last year four people died when a CHC-operated Super Puma L2 plunged into the sea two miles from Sumburgh Airport.
Duncan Munro, 46, of Bishop Auckland, Sarah Darnley, 45, of Elgin, Gary McCrossan, 59, of Inverness, and George Allison, 57, of Winchester, all lost their lives, while the remaining 10 passengers and two crew survived.
Now, 12 months on the industry has paused to remember its own.
Oil & Gas UK and Step Change in Safety joined forces to produce a special memorial video to mark the first anniversary of the tragic crash, which will be shown both off and onshore. The film is part of a series of events planned to pay tribute to the four victims, their families, as well as friends and colleagues; those injured, and the many men and women who contributed to the search and rescue operation and emergency response immediately following the accident.
The oil and gas industry chaplain Reverend Gordon Craig said: “The oil chapel has special significance for the oil and gas industry, and continues to provide a natural focal point for the workforce and the people of Aberdeen to demonstrate their care and respect for those affected by tragedy. I am sure the people of Aberdeen and those working in the industry will wish to show the families of George Allison, Sarah Darnley, Gary McCrossan and Duncan Munro that they are very much in their thoughts at this time, respecting of course this is an extremely difficult time for them.”
Tomorrow, a chaplain will conduct an Act of Remembrance offshore on the Alwyn, Dunbar and Borgsten Dolphin installations. A special dedication of a memorial plaque honouring those who have died in air accidents around Shetland will also be carried out. A commemorative wreath will then be placed at the crash site by the airport’s fire rescue boat before one of the rescue helicopters carries out a commemorative flypast.
On Monday the victims will then be remembered at a prayer service at the Kirk of St Nicholas in Aberdeen at 1pm.
Mark Abbey, regional director of CHC Helicopter added: “The occasion of one year since the tragedy off the coast of Sumburgh is clearly a painful time for the families and friends of Duncan Munro, Sarah Darnley, Gary McCrossan and George Allison, as well as for those who survived the accident. They and everyone touched by the events and memory of that day – including our own people – are on the minds of the entire CHC team.
“While the safety record of offshore helicopter transportation remains high, even one incident is too many. That is why we and others across our industry are working together to achieve even greater levels of safety.”