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Thread: In : Sea of Fire.

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    Default In : Sea of Fire.

    Charles Harvey interviewed three days ago about Piper Alpha disaster.
    Click html below.

    https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/nost...disaster-1988/

    Regards from,
    Fouro.

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    Default re: In : Sea of Fire.

    Re the Sea of Fire post above.
    The Gremlins are at it again.

    'In' shouldn't be in post title.
    And it should be Charles Haffey 'not' Charles Harvey.

    Fouro.

  3. Thanks Doc Vernon thanked for this post
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    Default re: In : Sea of Fire.

    #1... Answers one question someone asked about a McKay some time ago and looking for people. The first name of the McKay was not Ian as I thought may of been him. Fouro I know George Haffey personally. He obviously has traces of recurrent trauma. He along with another of the boat crew never went back to my knowledge , the two other members came with me on other vessels , one of whom is now dead , who obviously died before his time. I tried to find out why but came up to brick walls , so is maybe better I didn’t find out. There are others out there still suffering a living death if they let it , going straight back to sea was the best cure in my estimation , and put it all down to experience. There is one thing one cannot do and that is live others lives for them. Going to the media is not the way to do it , it is like the mongoose going to the snake and asking it for some anti serum. The media are not interested in ones mental condition , only if it appertains to give the story more spice. George Haffeys words to me after the event and at the palace was , and I’m hopefully not disclosing anything he doesn’t want knowing , was I was on a ship in strife or similar wording ,during the Falklands war and that was bad, But nothing could be as bad as the Piper Alpha burning , and I cant go back , I’m going ashore for good. So be it.
    JWS
    The two who came back with me a couple of weeks later were the two certificated boat handlers and the first thing they did on arriving location was asked if they could put the boat in the water so I arranged with the manager on the platform for an exercise under the rig, I didn’t tell him the reason why. But away they went putting the boat under the rig as they had course to do at the Piper, this was for their own benefit and choice to kill any demons and to assure themselves they were ok. That’s what I call seamen. JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 11th December 2020 at 01:26 PM.
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    Default re: In : Sea of Fire.

    Im even doing the same as you Fouro putting the wrong title to the person in question. Should have said Charlie Haffey. My statement as said was over 2 years after the event and Charlie’s hands were still shaking , I know what that is like as mine were during and immediately after , and the only way I could hide this was putting them in my pocket Cappy is going to spot that and say I was doing other things. . But over 2 years after the event the shakes should really not have been there. I have already committed my memories to this site and anything furtherI might say may be breaking others confidences placed with me. The last I heard from Charlie was 2 years ago but was a message passed on through a third person, and I was assured he was doing well. Keep at it Charlie if you have course to read this . Cheers John Sabourn.
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 11th December 2020 at 10:04 PM.
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    Default Re: In : Sea of Fire.

    Let me add one thing to this post to clarify in people’s minds who may have a preconceived idea of the work involved at the piper alpha. The majority of these crews were ex fishermen, A Stand by Rescue
    Vessel was there predominately for to be the platform to launch the FRC. from and then be the haven for anyone falling off the rig. Or in the case of a mass leaving of the rig by the rigs boats to be a place of safety.A frc under normal circumstances would have one certified boat driver and two crew members as such who would be instructed by the driver to do shat was necessary. The night of the P. A. Was different as a few hours earlier one crew member was exchanged with a ship going back to Aberdeen, this was for domestic reasons. So the Silver pit was fortuanate enough to finish up with two experienced boat handlers. Also due to the rapid events unfolding 4 went in the boat , which was the full deck crew of the vessel. anyone who has any experience of small craft will know that the livelihood of those in the boat will depend on the skills of the boat driver. He has to make on spot decisions , he can only be advised by me if I have sight of him. So in my estimation it is the duty of the stand by boat to be in visual contact at least. Which I did and was the only vessel that did so. So every man jack on the S.P. Was engaged in the duties of rescue. Pulling directly from the sea itself. The noise has always been stated by everyone involved and communications at times were non existent . Whatever grand picture of the state of affairs that the media want to put across bear in mind their own objectives and as regards airial photography also bear in mind that such scenes were after the party was over or near enough. If you weren’t there then you don’t know , and as regards those who were most saw from a safe distance , there were 16 men who could recite word for word the true facts, this number on last count was down to 12 and today is probably much less. Anything else that has already been written of a private nature has already been said and any further additives would be private and not for would be journalists to make a mockery of. As to black humour have already given one example , beleive they were both first trippers in the FRC and one of them said God ! Is it like this’ Every night , to which the boat driver said Nah ! Only every second night. JS.
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 13th December 2020 at 02:09 AM.
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    Default Re: In : Sea of Fire.

    To Keith Burrel. Keith if you are still a member of this site and not too stressful, Maybe you might like to express your views of that night in question. I know your condition as you told me , but is better from your lips than mine, and is purely voluntary .Hope this finds you well and all of the best for Xmas and new year. I was off the air for 3 months so may have failed to answer any correspondence. Regards JS.
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    Default Re: In : Sea of Fire.

    I have tried looking through the site for the above persons name without success.Fotuanetly as was not long ago and have a copy of correspondence via the MN private channel. I will give a very brief few chosen comments in the hope it will not disturb the originator of the correspondences which followed which I will not divulge publicly as a total correspondence.
    Was on the VSO Performer DSV which responded to C/G Mayday.. Am now retired at end of August 2019 was hit by delayed Trauma , 31 years after the event. I’m lucky to have got charity funding to pay for treatment by a psychologist which is still on going. Is very apparent how that memory has been suppressed . I am trying to gather records to fill in memory losses but there are no compiled lists of vessels there.

    This goes on through various msgs. But is private and should come from the person who sent them if possible.
    He joined VSO Performer on the 22 June 1988 at Aberdeen to look after the Dynamic positioning system and ship was employed on the block search afterwards. He similar to self searched for info.but as said previously seemed nearly always to bump into brick walls..
    This is to appease anybody who wants to know what this post was all about, not a big earth shattering event but shows some of the scars that some people carry today on occurrences of over 30 years ago. JWS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 14th December 2020 at 12:25 AM.
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    Default Re: In : Sea of Fire.

    John, the only people who know the truth about that night are those who were there.

    As is normal the media picked the bits they thought would sell copy, not always the exact story but one they think is the best.

    Like all tradergies there will be some lost, good men at that.
    Those who remain are often effected in such a manner they never fully recover.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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    Default Re: In : Sea of Fire.

    John when I originally put the facts I had on to this site , it was for seamen to see the truth of what was a terrible scene to those closely involved it was not for any other reason. Certainly not to arouse agitation. I never spoke in public about it before I put on here. It was certainly not to glorify any situation .Nothing could be further from the truth , and most would give anything for it not to have happened. I have made my peace with what occurred and now tend to leave sleeping dogs lie. However when I see the facts mis stated in any way I will also stand up for those who in most cases can’t speak for themselves . The 167 men who died should be remembered for the way they had to die, but also those who died not too long after under very dodgy circumstances. Their circumstances will never be known. JS
    On the dark side of my nature the abhorrence I have for the media when they put up a headline Skipper did not check ship before it sailed, a complete fabrication From the truth and probably in retaliation for not wanting to be interviewed by them , they to me will never live that down.
    The holding back of seamen’s compensation of personal losses of clothing they gave to survivors .
    There are a few other items which appear juvenile to others but to some meant a little bit of understanding of their plight and mental strength at the time. Too much to say to be believed. In general the total mis understanding the general public have of the disaster amplified by a grossly over rated media. JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 14th December 2020 at 08:45 AM.
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    Default Re: In : Sea of Fire.

    Change follows tragedy never the other way round. The bottom line, money and profits.
    It was far cheaper to use clapped out old trawlers in the North Sea as stand by boats. No one gave a thought about the crews who manned them until the Piper Alpha disaster.
    Grenfell tower, cheaper unsafe cladding used to keep costs down. Once again people had to die before changes were made.

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