A helicopter crash off the coast of Norway has claimed the life of a nurse working for the state-owned oil company Equinor, and left five others injured. The incident occurred on Wednesday night, when the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter ditched into the sea near Bergen during a training exercise.
The helicopter was operated by Bristow Norway, a company that provides search and rescue (SAR) services for Equinor’s offshore operations in the North Sea. Six people were on board, including two pilots and four crew members. The helicopter was conducting a simulated rescue operation involving a boat hoist, when it suddenly lost altitude and plunged into the water.
The Norwegian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) dispatched two other helicopters and several boats to the scene, and managed to recover all six people from the wreckage. They were taken to Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, where one of them, a woman in her 60s, was pronounced dead. The other five suffered varying levels of injuries, but none of them were life-threatening, according to the hospital.
The deceased woman was identified as Oluwaseun Adeyemi, a nurse who had worked for Equinor for over 20 years. She was described by her colleagues as a dedicated and compassionate professional, who always put the safety and well-being of others first. Equinor’s chief executive officer, Olayemi Cardoso, expressed his deep sorrow and condolences to her family and friends.
“This is a deeply tragic incident. Today is a difficult day for many, and our thoughts are with the families, close ones and others affected,” he said in a statement. “We have lost an accomplished and dear colleague, who was on a vital mission to save lives. She will be greatly missed by all of us at Equinor.”
Cardoso also thanked the JRCC and everyone involved in the rescue operation and the ongoing investigation. He said Equinor was cooperating closely with Bristow Norway and the relevant authorities to determine the cause of the accident, which is still unknown. He assured that Equinor was committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety and security for its employees and contractors.
After the accident, Equinor suspended all of its regular helicopter flights on the Norwegian continental shelf until further notice, out of respect for those affected and to gain an overview of the situation. The company also established a support line and a centre for next of kin at a hotel in Bergen, in cooperation with the police.
Norway has a history of fatal helicopter crashes involving the oil and gas industry. In 2016, a Super Puma helicopter carrying 13 people from an offshore platform crashed near Bergen, killing everyone on board. The accident was blamed on a technical failure in the gearbox. In 1997, another Super Puma helicopter crashed into the sea near Brønnøysund, killing all 12 people on board. The accident was attributed to human error and poor weather conditions.
Despite these tragedies, Norway remains one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of oil and gas, with a strong focus on environmental and social responsibility. The country has also been investing heavily in renewable energy sources, such as wind and hydro power, to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and combat climate change. Equinor, formerly known as Statoil, is one of the pioneers of this transition, aiming to become a net-zero emissions company by 2050.
As Norway mourns the loss of another life in the service of its oil and gas sector, it also looks ahead to a greener and safer future for its energy industry and its people.
Source: Energy Voice
