One person is confirmed to have died and 10 remaining missing following the sinking of a Bourbon Offshore vessel in the mid-Atlantic.
French vessel owner Bourbon confirmed on Monday the death of one of the 11 missing crew members of the Bourbon Rhode.
The body of the missing seafarer was located by one of the aircraft involved in the search and has been recovered by one of the five vessels that came to assist. The seafarer's family was immediately notified, and they requested that the identity not be disclosed, Bourbon said.
Rescue operations are continuing to find the other crew members, with significant maritime and air search resources deployed by the French and American authorities.
“We remain fully mobilised on search operations to find the other missing seafarers and I would like to express our gratitude to the rescuers, all the teams of the Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue and the teams of the crisis cells who are working tirelessly to this end,” Bourbon chief executive Gael Bodenes said.
Operations are under way with the full support of the Regional Operational Center of Surveillance and Rescue and the French navy, under the authority of the Prefect representing the French national maritime authority.
In addition, a Falcon 50 of the French navy as well as the aircraft of the American National Hurricane Center (NHC) conducted numerous overflights of the search area.
Late last week, the vessel was in transit 1200 nautical miles off Martinique island and 60 nautical miles south-south east from the eye of Hurricane Lorenzo, a category four system.
At the time, Bourbon said the 14 crew members were facing water ingress in the rear of the vessel.
The Bourbon Rhode vessel has since sunk.
Three crew have been rescued and placed under medical observation.
Ten crew members remain unaccounted for.