Helicopter ditches in North Sea

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

A helicopter, carrying at least 18 people, has ditched on approach to an installation in the North Sea.

The Super Puma was believed to have ditched on approach to an installation 120 miles east of Aberdeen. The alarm was raised just before 1900 GMT.

Three helicopters - including two in-field aircraft and a Sea King from RAF Lossiemouth - are heading to the scene.

A Nimrod from RAF Kinloss has also been scrambled. There are currently no details on those on board the aircraf

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7898093.stm

[Kolesar]

1. to the rescue!

[liberal N proud]

2. Nimrod?

[dipsydoodle]

6. I guess it's being used

for reconnaissance at sea. :shrug:

[bdab1973]

13. Do you know what Nimrod is actually referring to?

Nimrod is a Babylonian king, also known as the "great hunter". The Nimrod aircraft is a sea patrol aircraft originally designed to find submarines, ie, a "hunter" of submarines.

Only recently in the US has the term "nimrod" come to refer to an idiot. Most Nimrod aircraft have since been modified for a broader reconnaissance mission.

[cobalt1999]

3. I hope they are wearing survival suits.

Waters pretty damn cold there.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

5. They do.

Also, they are required to attend emergency evacuation school before they can ride the shuttle back and forth to the oil rigs.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

4. I just watched this episode on National Geographic Air Emergency.

Same deal - a Super Puma with passengers numbering in the teens.

I hope they get the same outcome as the episode I saw. All on board made it in to the life raft.

The copter is equipped with inflatable floats.

Hope they are OK.

[kirby]

7. Lets hope...

In civilian configuration it can seat approximately 18 passengers and two crew, though since the early 2000s most oil companies have banned use of the middle-rear seat reducing effective capacity to 17+2. This down-rating is due to difficulties encountered in evacuating through the rear-most windows in crashes at sea.

[dipsydoodle]

8. The North Sea is a bitch

I can remember running into it on a baking hot day just outside of Edinburgh. I ran out equally fast backward - must've looked like a cartoon.

I also recall watching the documentary, years after the event , about Piper Alpha : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_Alpha The rule on those North Sea rigs is that regardless of circumstances you do not jump overboard. They interviewed a guy who did jump and quite miraculously survived both the jump and the sea temperature.

[dipsydoodle]

9. All rescued due to fast repsonse

Good result that.

[Ghost Dog]

10. Meanwhile, at least 25 drowned, 14 of them under 16 years old,

including pregnant mothers; only six survivors (as far as we can tell), of a small boatload of migrants attempting to enter the EU from S. Morocco via the Canary Island of Lanzarote.

(Over and over and over again this happens).

(Inaccurate, not very interested) Reports In English:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090216/wl_afp/spainimmigrationaccidentsea_20090216202541
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7892308.stm

Latest Local (in Spanish):

Uff... Start here: http://www.canarias7.es/articulo.cfm?id=121801

(Locally, we feel shattered. For example, this is Carnaval season here. All such celebrations cancelled, locally. Street protests over our immigration policy)...


(There are much worse images published...).

With apologies for 'crashing' this thread. This is, of course, not of any relevance as International Breaking News. :(

[dipsydoodle]

11. Point taken.

x( yes it's sad.

[Ghost Dog]

12. Thanks.

:hug: n/t.

Edit: Hey, we actually hit the National (Spanish) Press with this!

MAybe they'll send some money. (For folks over there). :(