Following the news about fire breaking out on one of the WFSVs at the Borkum Riffgrund 1 offshore wind farm, Offshore WIND communicated with both the German Maritime Search and Rescue Association (DGzRS), which received the distress call, and Turbine Transfers, the vessel’s operator.
Turbine Transfers contacted Offshore WIND to report that there had not been a fire break out on the Beaumaris Bay , but smoke which activated the smoke detector. DGzRS acknowledged the possibility that there was no actual fire on board the vessel, explaining that it received a “fire on board” Digital Selective Call (DSC), since there is no finer gradation in DSC scheme.
Given that the Beaumaris Bay crew had dealt with the incident by following the procedure in such situations, DGzRS’s rescue boat Bernhard Gruben just escorted the Turbine Transfers’ vessel to its base port in Norddeich.
DGzRS added that, because its rescue team had not boarded the Beaumaris Bay , the only information about the incident it got was the distress call from the vessel.
“The vessel is due back in service imminently,” Turbine Transfers said, and added: “The vessel charterer and Captain Mark Meade (MD of Turbine Transfers Ltd) wish to praise the crew and the Masters of the Beaumaris Bay, Nathan Thorne and Mick Leigh on their thoroughly professional response and attention to detail during the event.”
Offshore WIND Staff; Image: Beaumaris Bay/Archive