Friday 5 July 2013

Piper Alpha 25th Anniversary

Relatives, friends and colleagues of the 167 men who lost their lives in the Piper Alpha tragedy on 6 July 1988, along with many of the survivors, will tomorrow (6 July) attend an act of remembrance and a ceremony marking the completion of the refurbishment of the North Sea Memorial Garden in Hazlehead Park, Aberdeen. They will be joined by the Secretary of State for Scotland The Rt Hon Michael Moore MP, Scotland’s First Minister The Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP, Aberdeen City Council’s Lord Provost, senior figures from the UK oil and gas industry and representatives from the Pound for Piper Trust.

Chaplain to the UK oil and gas industry, The Reverend Gordon Craig, will open the ceremony following a special honorary fly past by a Sea King search and rescue helicopter from D Flight 202 Squadron RAF Lossiemouth in tribute to the significant role that this aircraft played on 6 July, 1988.

The Reverend Craig said: “Losing a loved one suddenly in tragic circumstance has a massive effect on the family. Those who have lost loved ones experience feelings of loss and grief to this day and it is natural and right that the family would want to mark this anniversary”.

Aberdeen City Council’s Lord Provost, George Adam, and Oil & Gas UK Board member, Geoff Holmes - chief executive officer of Talisman Sinopec Energy UK Ltd – will also pay tribute at the service.

A roll call of those who perished in the disaster will be read out by The Reverend Craig and representatives of the offshore workforce. They are Jim Trodden, offshore installation manager at Chevron; Steve Walton, safety representative at Wood Group PSN; Robert Scott, safety representative of the year 2012 at Bilfinger Salamis; Willie Watt, safety representative of the year 2011 and Clare Davidson, construction engineer at Aker Solutions.

A lament played by a lone piper will mark the start of a minute’s silence paying respect to the men who lost their lives in Piper Alpha 25 years ago and all those who have been affected by it.

Floral tributes will then be laid at the garden’s central memorial statue. During this part of the service, Aberdeen’s Bon Accord Brass Band will play.

The garden refurbishment, funded by Oil & Gas UK members and Aberdeen City Council, has seen thousands of roses planted to ensure the site continues to flourish for many years to come. Grass areas have also been rejuvenated, benches maintained and the memorial cleaned. Money raised by the industry that is surplus to immediate requirements will be donated to the Pound for Piper Memorial Trust Fund in support of the charity’s continued fund-raising efforts for the long-term maintenance of the garden.

Ends

For more information, please contact Charlie Mayo on 07792 955261.