A plaque dedicated to the memory of the crewmen who lost their lives during a brave Piper Alpha rescue mission is to be donated to charity.
The emergency response and rescue vessel Sandhaven was one of the first on the scene of the catastrophic oil rig blaze on July 6, 1988.
Six men were rescued by the Sandhaven but it was overcome by flames when a second gas line ruptured and two crew members – Brian Batchelor and Malcolm Storey – perished along with all those who had been pulled from the water.
The Sandhaven was later renamed the Grampian Venture and has now reached the end of her lifespan.
As owners North Star Shipping prepare to scrap the vessel, operators Craig Group have bequeathed a memorial plaque which was originally on the ship to the Pound for Piper Memorial Trust.
Following the disaster, where 167 men were killed, Occidental Group, which operated the oil well at the time of the tragedy, donated the plaque to the Sandhaven as a tribute to the two crew who died.
Having reached the end of its lifespan the vessel is to be dismantled later this year. Ahead of its decommissioning its owners were keen to ensure the commemoration of the efforts of those on board received a fitting permanent home.
Callum Bruce, managing director of North Star Shipping, said: “The plaque is a tribute to the bravery of those crew members who were on board during Piper Alpha.
“Mr Batchelor and Mr Storey’s efforts deserve to be remembered and, having liaised with the families, we felt it was right to provide the plaque to Pound for Piper Memorial Trust which was set up to honour all those who died in the tragedy.”
He added: “While we did not own the vessel at the time of Piper Alpha, we are well aware of her significant rescue role during the tragedy and she went on to become one of our stalwart vessels that helped to ensure the highest standards of safety in the North Sea.”