Discover the Normand-Ocean: Ratings & Maritime News

In the early hours of February 28, 2024, a tragic helicopter accident occurred off the coast of Norway, prompting a swift mission by the 'Normand Ocean' to retrieve the wreckage near Sotra Island. The helicopter, which was involved in low-altitude training exercises for Equinor, a state-backed oil company, suffered a fatal crash during its operation. Reidun Hestetun, a 61-year-old nurse affiliated with Equinor, was pronounced dead following the incident. Additionally, five other crew members, all associated with Bristow, were hospitalized with varying injury severities. Among them, one individual is reported to be in critical condition, another suffered serious injuries, while three others sustained minor trauma. On March 1, at approximately 8:15 p.m., the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) confirmed that the S-92 helicopter, identified by registration LN-IOJ, was located at a depth of 220 meters by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The recovery operation continued through the night, and the helicopter is now secured at the Haakonsvern naval base. The immediate focus lies on salvaging the black box from the flight recorder, which will provide crucial insights into the circumstances surrounding the crash. Meanwhile, the Norwegian Coastguard has retrieved additional floating debris, which has been handed over to the NSIA for further investigation. For more details and images from the recovery effort, you can visit the reports at Energy Voice: [Wreckage Recovered in Norway](https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/north-sea/549249/wreckage-recovered-norway-helicopter/) and [Helicopter Ditches During Training](https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/north-sea/548988/helicopter-norway-ditches-equinor-bristow/).

Norwegian subsea services firm DeepOcean has successfully secured a contract with Equinor to provide Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair (IMR) services. This significant agreement is set to kick off in the first quarter of 2020 and will span a period of up to nine months. DeepOcean will deploy its versatile construction vessel, the Normand Ocean, to carry out vital subsea ROV operations. These operations will focus on essential inspection, maintenance, and repair activities on Equinor’s infrastructure within the Norwegian Continental Shelf, ensuring the continued integrity and performance of their assets.