The Piper Alpha with fire in full blaze. Imagine the heat that was generated during the tragedy.
About The Author
Captain John Konrad is co-founder of Unofficial Networks and Editor In Chief of this blog. He is a USCG licensed Master Mariner of Unlimited Tonnage and, since graduating from SUNY Maritime College, has sailed a variety of ships from ports around the world.
He currently lives in Morro Bay, California with his wife and two children.
Full Profile: John
Captain John Konrad is co-founder of Unofficial Networks and Editor In Chief of this blog. He is a USCG licensed Master Mariner of Unlimited Tonnage and, since graduating from SUNY Maritime College, has sailed a variety of ships from ports around the world.
He currently lives in Morro Bay, California with his wife and two children.
Full Profile: John
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5 responses so far ↓
1 Jane Wood // Sep 24, 2007 at 4:05 am
My husband is a survivor of Piper Alpha and from his description of that night he was in that fast rescue boat you can see in the photograph. He was working on the lower level that night (servicing the diving equipment). He and the other men could only go down as the flames were too intense to go up to the helipad as they were instructed to do in an emergency. They jumped from the 40 ft level and the boat went into rescue them. As they were moving away there was a huge explosion and the heat and flames were incredible; they were lucky to escape with singed hair and lungs full of smoke. How do I know this? Over the years he has recounted to me many, many times what happened that night, how guilty he feels in surviving and how he misses all the friends he made on Piper Alpha over the 8 years he was on there. I am so grateful he made it but life has never been the same since the 6th July 1988.
2 Jane Wood // Sep 24, 2007 at 4:05 am
My husband is a survivor of Piper Alpha and from his description of that night he was in that fast rescue boat you can see in the photograph. He was working on the lower level that night (servicing the diving equipment). He and the other men could only go down as the flames were too intense to go up to the helipad as they were instructed to do in an emergency. They jumped from the 40 ft level and the boat went into rescue them. As they were moving away there was a huge explosion and the heat and flames were incredible; they were lucky to escape with singed hair and lungs full of smoke. How do I know this? Over the years he has recounted to me many, many times what happened that night, how guilty he feels in surviving and how he misses all the friends he made on Piper Alpha over the 8 years he was on there. I am so grateful he made it but life has never been the same since the 6th July 1988.
3 John // Sep 24, 2007 at 7:55 am
Amazing story, I did not even notice the small rescue boat in the photo until now. His guilt should be helped in knowing that the world took notice and made changes to offshore safety after hearing his story. It is still just a terrible incident though.
4 John // Sep 24, 2007 at 7:55 am
Amazing story, I did not even notice the small rescue boat in the photo until now. His guilt should be helped in knowing that the world took notice and made changes to offshore safety after hearing his story. It is still just a terrible incident though.
5 Daniel Seaton // Sep 16, 2008 at 8:47 am
I am trying to find some people that might of known ma grandad he died on the oil rig a month 2 the day before i was born and i just wished id known him his name was Colin Seaton and i think he work on the instrument department im not sure if any1 could help that wud be amazing thank you
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