A plaque dedicated to two crewmen who died during the Piper Alpha rescue mission has been saved.
Emergency response and rescue vessel Sandhaven was one of the first on the scene of the catastrophic oil rig blaze on July 6, 1988.
Six men were rescued by the team, but it was overcome by flames when a second gas line ruptured and crewmen Brian Batchelor and Malcolm Storey died, along with 165 other men.
Rig operator Occidental Group later donated a plaque to the Sandhaven as a tribute to the pair.
But as reported in the Press and Journal last month, the vessel – which was later renamed Grampian Venture – is due to be dismantled later this year.
Now the families of the men who died and operators North Star Shipping have ensured the plaque will not be lost, and it will go on display in the Piper Alpha memorial gardens at Hazlehead Park.
Brian Lamb, operations director at North Star Shipping, said: “Mr Batchelor and Mr Storey’s efforts deserve to be remembered and having liaised with the families, we felt it was right to provide the plaque to the Pound for Piper Memorial Trust, which was set up to honour all those who died in the tragedy.”
Mr Storey’s son David said it had been important to save the tribute, which his family have never seen.
“It was important for us to save the plaque, not just for remembering my father’s ultimate sacrifice, but that of the 167 men that never returned home,” he said.
“We’ve never seen the plaque in person, so we’re looking forward to the day we can gather together as a family and view it in its new home.”
“We really want to thank all those involved.
“Dad has been gone 27 years, but their efforts to preserve this plaque show his sacrifice is not forgotten.”
Lucy Norval, chairwoman of the Pound for Piper Memorial Trust, is now working to find a space for the plaque in the Piper Alpha memorial garden in Aberdeen.
“I think it’s absolutely fantastic,” she said.
“It all came about because of a Press and Journal story about the decommissioning.
“It will be a very moving and poignant plaque in the garden.”
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