A seismic research vessel, the Rem Andes, caught fire while operating about 100 nautical miles south of Grand Isle, Louisiana, on October 12. As a result, multiple crew members were forced to abandon ship, and nearby offshore supply vessels assisted in safely evacuating them to shore.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that the vessel, which is registered in Cyprus, had 46 individuals onboard at the time of the incident. Of these, 38 crew members evacuated into life rafts, while eight stayed behind to combat the flames and assess damage. A mayday call was intercepted by a Coast Guard C-27 Spartan aircraft, which then provided urgent assistance during the emergency. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the crew members, and the fire was eventually extinguished.
The Coast Guard also deployed an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter to support the rescue efforts. Following the incident, the Rem Andes, a Norway-operated vessel designed for offshore seismic surveys, began coordinating commercial salvage activities. The specifics regarding the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage remain undisclosed.
