Editing Piper Alpha (section)

== Rescue operations ==

=== Nearby vessels and rescue crafts ===
[[File:MoB boat 1.jpg|thumb|A fast rescue craft|300x300px]]
Vessels that were close to Piper Alpha at the moment of the first explosion included MSV ''[[Tharos]]'', a large [[semi-submersible]] firefighting, [[Diving support vessel|diving]]/[[Rescue craft|rescue]], and [[Dormitory ship|accommodation vessel]]; standby safety vessel [[Merchant ship#Name prefixes|MV]] ''Silver Pit'', who immediately sent her [[Lifeboat (rescue)|fast rescue boat]] towards Piper;{{Efn|Coincidentally, ''Silver Pit'' was also the standby vessel in the [[Ekofisk oil field|Ekofisk field]] when the ''[[Alexander L. Kielland (platform)|Alexander L. Kielland]]'' capsized on 27 March 1980.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Smith-Solbakken |first1=Marie |last2=Weihe |first2=Hans-Jørgen Wallin |date=2021 |title=Mayday mayday Kielland velter... |trans-title='Mayday Mayday Kielland Overturns...' |journal=[[Arbeiderhistorie]] |language=nb |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=154–178 |doi=10.18261/issn.2387-5879-2021-01-10 |doi-access=free}}</ref>}} ''Maersk Cutter'', which started dousing the drilling floor of Piper with her [[Deluge gun|fire monitors]] as early as ten minutes after the blast; ''Lowland Cavalier'', which had no monitors but immediately deployed a workboat; and converted supply ship ''Sandhaven'', which was the standby vessel for ''Santa Fe 135'', a semi-submersible [[drilling rig]] several miles away, and had her fast rescue craft in the water minutes after she spotted the first fire on Piper Alpha.{{sfnp|Matsen|2011|loc=chapter 13}}{{sfnp|The Hon Lord Cullen|1990|loc=vol.1, p. 165}} Other vessels that attended the operation later were ''Loch Shuna'', ''Maersk Logger'' and ''Maersk Leader''.{{sfnp|The Hon Lord Cullen|1990|loc=vol.1, p. 171}} Overall, 11 fast rescue crafts (FRC) from nearby vessels were involved in the rescue operations.{{sfnp|The Hon Lord Cullen|1990|loc=vol.1, p. 166}}

''Tharos'' launched her [[Sikorsky S-76]] helicopter at 22:11 but it was unable to land on Piper due to smoke.{{sfnp|McGinty|2009|p=108}} At 22:23 ''Tharos'' received a message from Piper: "People majority in [[Galley (kitchen)|galley]] area. ''Tharos'' come. [[Gangway (nautical)|Gangway]]. [[Hose]]s. Getting bad."{{sfnp|The Hon Lord Cullen|1990|loc=vol.1, p. 44}} She drew alongside Piper Alpha around 22:30 and used her water cannon to cool the platform, which was useful in assisting survivors escape from the pipe deck and helideck.{{sfnp|Spouge|1999|loc=appendix III, p. 9}} Attempts to deploy her extendable gangway over to Piper were unsuccessful. One survivor who jumped when the Tartan riser failed swam to ''Tharos'' and climbed out unaided. When the MCP-01 riser failed, ''Tharos'' withdrew to {{Convert|200|m|yd}} away.{{sfnp|Spouge|1999|loc=appendix III, p. 9}} The MSV was equipped with a hospital with an offshore medic assisted by diver paramedics from a [[saturation diving]] team. A triage and reception area were set up on the vessel's helideck to receive injured casualties.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Olley |first=David |date=October 1991 |title=Piper Alpha – A Personal Experience |journal=[[Perspectives in Public Health|The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health]] |volume=111 |issue=5 |pages=193–195 |doi=10.1177/146642409111100510 |issn=1466-4240 |eissn=1476-9042 |doi-access=free|pmid=1795355 }}</ref>

''Silver Pit''<nowiki/>'s FRC was launched within two minutes of the first explosion and rescued the first nine people from the northwest corner within 13 minutes. She rescued a total of 29 people, with ''Silver Pit'' herself rescuing a further eight. When the Tartan riser failed ''Silver Pit'' withdrew to {{Convert|300|m|yd}} away. When the MCP-01 riser failed, rope on the deck began to smoulder and the vessel withdrew further away.{{sfnp|Spouge|1999|loc=appendix III, p. 9}}

''Lowland Cavalier'' deployed a workboat that picked up two people who had fallen from a rope at the northwest corner. When the first gas riser failed, the workboat crew sheltered in the water.{{sfnp|Spouge|1999|loc=appendix III, p. 9}}

''Sandhaven''<nowiki/>'s FRC picked up four men who had climbed down ropes. She returned and picked up two more when the MCP-01 riser failed. At that moment, the craft's [[propeller]] got entangled in debris. The boat was engulfed in the fire, throwing the survivors and the three crew into the water. All perished with the exception of [[coxswain]] Iain Letham.<ref name="nightseacaughtfire" />{{sfnp|The Hon Lord Cullen|1990|loc=vol. 1, p. 44}}<ref>{{cite news |date=3 July 1998 |title=Every Day Is a Battle |work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]] |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12258799.every-day-is-a-battle/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329143321/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12258799.every-day-is-a-battle/ |archive-date=29 March 2022}}</ref><ref name=":36" />{{sfnp|Spouge|1999|loc=appendix III, p. 9}} He was picked up from the sea one hour later with his [[Personal flotation device|lifejacket]] and [[Hard hat|safety helmet]] melted by the scorching heat.{{sfnp|Spouge|1999|loc=appendix III, p. 9}}

=== Aircraft ===
[[File:Westland WS-61 Sea King HAR3, UK - Air Force AN0769355.jpg|thumb|300x300px|An RAF search-and-rescue Westland WS-61 Sea King helicopter]]
A mayday launched by ''Lowland Cavalier'' at 22:01 was relayed to a [[rescue coordination centre]], which instructed [[RAF Kinloss]] station to scramble a [[Hawker Siddeley Nimrod]] maritime patrol aircraft. This was to be sent to the area to act as flying communications platform, handling the signals from helicopters and reporting them back. At 22:22 and 22:28 [[Westland Sea King|Sea King]] helicopters ''Rescue 137'' and ''Rescue 131'' took off from [[RAF Lossiemouth]] and [[RAF Boulmer]] respectively.{{sfnp|The Hon Lord Cullen|1990|loc=vol. 1, p. 190}} Shetland [[His Majesty's Coastguard|Coastguard]] helicopter ''Rescue 117'' took off at 22:45. Sea King ''Rescue 138'' left Lossiemouth at 22:51. The Nimrod took off from Kinloss at 22:55 using the designation ''Rescue 01''.{{sfnp|The Hon Lord Cullen|1990|loc=vol. 1, p. 169}}

When ''Rescue 01'' was still about {{Convert|80|miles|km|abbr=out}} from Piper, the aircraft crew radioed the rescue coordination centre that they could already see the fire.{{sfnp|McGinty|2009|p=126}} ''Rescue 01'' arrived at the scene at 23:27.{{sfnp|The Hon Lord Cullen|1990|loc=vol. 1, p. 44}} Three minutes later the first search-and-rescue helicopter, ''Rescue 137'', reached ''Tharos,'' followed by the arrival of ''Rescue 117'', ''Rescue 138'' and ''Rescue 131'' at 23:44, 23:48 and 23:53 hours respectively.{{sfnp|The Hon Lord Cullen|1990|loc=vol. 1, p. 171}} ''Tharos'' requested ''Rescue 138'' to evacuate 12 nonessential personnel to make room for incoming casualties. The helicopter transferred them to nearby ''Ocean Victory'', before returning with paramedics.<ref name=":13">{{Cite episode |title=Piper Alpha |series=Rescue |series-link=Rescue (British TV series) |network=[[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] |date=18 February 1990 |season=1 |number=7 |last=Berriff |first=Paul}}</ref>{{sfnp|Spouge|1999|loc=appendix III, p. 10}} The search-and-rescue helicopters made unsuccessful sweeps for survivors in the water and ferried injured survivors from rescue vessels to ''Tharos'' and to [[Aberdeen Royal Infirmary]].{{sfnp|Spouge|1999|loc=appendix III, p. 10}}

A civilian [[Sikorsky S-61]] of [[Bristow Helicopters]] carrying a medical emergency team arrived at the scene by 1:20 on 7 July.<ref name=":13" /> At 2:00 another helicopter landed on ''Tharos'' the Offshore Specialist Team from Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, with a significant amount of medical equipment.{{sfnp|The Hon Lord Cullen|1990|loc=vol. 1, p. 171}} The last survivors were picked up by ''Rescue 138'' from ''Tharos'' at 7:25.<ref name=":13" /> By 8:15, 63 personnel (among whom one survivor who subsequently died and the surviving member of the crew of ''Sandhaven''<nowiki/>'s FRC) had been brought ashore. Aircraft were used to search the area of the platform until the afternoon hours.{{sfnp|The Hon Lord Cullen|1990|loc=vol. 1, p. 172}}