'My friends are still on the ship'

Egil Atle Hafsaas, one of the survivors of the Bourbon Dolphin, broke down after describing his final moments on board the vessel, saying: "I am very happy to be alive, but it is hard. My crewmates are still on the ship. They didn't get out - they are trapped in the boat."

Hafsaas, an able seaman from Nordfjordeid, struggled to contain his emotions as he described Thursday's events to a press conference in Lerwick last night, breaking off several times to wipe away tears and regain his composure.

The 36-year-old is one of the seven crew who survived the capsize of the Bourbon Offshore Norway anchor handling tug supply vessel Bourbon Dolphin.

The vessel was operating in heavy seas at the time of the accident, working with an anchor chain on the semi-submersible rig Transocean Rather, at the Rosebank field in the UK sector of the North Sea.

At least three of the Bourbon Dolphin's crew are dead, with five, including a 14-year-old boy on work experience, still missing.

A memorial service was held this morning in Shetland for the dead and missing crew. The service was followed by a flight out to the scene of the tragedy, 120 kilometres north-west of the islands.

Last night, Hafsaas told the assembled media it took less than five minutes for the AHTS vessel to capsize.

Hafsaas said: "I was standing outside on A-deck, watching the seas - nature has always fascinated me, and I am sure being out on deck saved my life."

He added: "The boat listed to port and then listed to port again, but the second movement was much stronger than normal.

"Initially it was fascinating, but when the ship rolled again, even further to port, I thought I should fetch my life jacket.

"She listed again, swinging violently to port. I knew something was wrong. All I could think was I had to get a life jacket on."

As he ran to fetch his life jacket, he met apprentice seamen Kim Henrik Moldskred Brandal, 18, and Thomas Andre Arnesen, 19. Hafsaas grabbed life jackets for the two youths and forced them to put the jackets on.

"There was an awful noise and the boat started listing more and more. I suddenly realised she wasn't going to right herself. I shouted to the boys that we had to save ourselves."

Pausing to collect his thoughts, Hafsaas said: "The boat kept rolling to port. I clambered over the rail, which was at a steep angle, so I was on the side of the boat, holding the rail and working my way towards the bow. She (the Bourbon Dolphin) kept rolling harder and harder to port.

"I slid down the side of the boat and fell into the sea. Luckily, the boat was drifting away from me, but I saw the two apprentices in the water, between me and the boat."

Hafsaas shouted to them, telling them to clamber on to a 1000 litre container that was drifting towards them.

"We clung fast (to it)," he said. "We talked to each other the whole time, we had to keep out spirits up. We were certain that someone would come and save us."

The three men were picked up by a vessel in the area and were then transferred to Lerwick by helicopter. They were kept in hospital for observation overnight before being discharged early on Friday morning.

Struggling to hold back tears, Hafsaas told the media: "It is very difficult to sit here. On the one hand, I am very happy to be alive, but it is hard. My crewmates are still on the ship. They didn't get out - they are still trapped in the boat."

Speaking to Norwegian newspaper VG, Bourbon Offshore Norway boss Trond Mycklebust called Hafsaas a hero, saying the two apprentices owed their lives to Hafsaas' quick thinking.

"Egil Hafsaas found life vests for himself and the two apprentices, and made sure they put them on. His action saved their lives," he told VG.

Yesterday the Norwegian police said that they had taken over responsibility for identifying the three men whose bodies have been found. They will be repatriated to Norway and their identities confirmed as quickly as possible.

Among the missing crew are 14-year-old David Remoy and his father Oddne Arve Remoy, 44, the ship's captain, both of Heroy.

The other dead or missing crew have been named. They are Ronny Emblem, 25, of Aalesund; Bjarte Grimstad, 37, of Hareid; Soren Kroer, 27, from Orum Djurs, in Denmark; Frank Nygaard, 42, of Hareid; Kjetil Rune Vaage, 31, from Aalesund; and Tor Karl Sando, 54, also from Aalesund.

Bourbon Offshore has set up an internal committee to investigate the accident. A probe will also be carried out by the Norwegian authorities.

Meanwhile, VG said that sources within Bourbon Offshore had said the company is trying to find out how much fuel and ballast was on the Bourbon Dolphn at the time of the accident and in which tank these were stored.

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has confirmed that the the Shetland Coastguard has abandoned the search and rescue operation. Dutch company Smit Salvage started work to recover the vessel yesterday.

Part of its brief includes recovering the chain connecting the Transocean Rather to the Bourbon Dolphin, the MCA said in a statement.

Grampian Police are also investigating the incident.