A fire broke out on a seismic research ship in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, causing many crew members to evacuate. Nearby supply boats helped get them to safety.
The ship, named Rem Andes and registered in Cyprus, was about 100 nautical miles south of Grand Isle, Louisiana, when the fire started on October 12, as reported by the U.S. Coast Guard.
A Coast Guard aircraft, a C-27 Spartan from Air Station Clearwater, picked up the vessel's distress call and went to help. Crew members who had escaped in life rafts were rescued by responding supply boats and brought to Port Fourchon, Louisiana.
Reports indicate that the vessel had 46 crew on board, with 38 evacuating into life rafts and eight staying on the ship to fight the fire and evaluate the situation. The Coast Guard initially reported that there were 42 crew members. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
The fire was later put out, and the ship is now working on coordinating salvage operations, according to the Coast Guard.
The rescue operation also included an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station New Orleans.
The Rem Andes is 88 meters long, built in 2012, and operated by the Norwegian company Rem Offshore. It is equipped for conducting offshore seismic surveys and collecting geophysical data related to energy exploration.
The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage to the vessel have not been revealed.