Crew Member Dies in Accident Aboard Tidewater Supply Vessel Off U.S. East Coast

A crew member has died following a maritime incident aboard the US-flagged Tidewater vessel POLARIS on June 2, while conducting operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

Tidewater confirmed the fatality in a statement, noting that emergency response procedures were immediately initiated. Despite the efforts of crew members and emergency response agencies, the crew member could not be saved.

“This is a tragic marine accident. Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and colleagues who have lost a loved one,” said Molly Morris, senior vice president for Equinor Renewables Americas, in response to the incident.

The POLARIS is a DP2 platform supply vessel flagged in the USA and built in 2014. AIS shows the vessel arrived in New York Harbor on June 3 and remains moored in the area.

While Equinor did not specified the vessel’s operations, the company is actively constructing the Empire Wind offshore wind project off New York’s coast.

The United States Coast Guard is currently investigating the cause of the incident, with Tidewater pledging full cooperation in the investigative process.

The Empire Wind 1 project, valued at $5 billion and designed to power 500,000 New York homes by 2027, recently resumed construction after a temporary suspension by the Trump Administration.

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) had previously ordered a stop-work order on the project as part of a broader halt on offshore wind development initiated by the Trump administration, with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum raising concerns about the previous administration’s approval process.

No additional details about the incident have been released, with Tidewater indicating that further information will be provided as appropriate.

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