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Hull surveyor remains in Gabon weeks after escaping sinking rig
Richard Richardson, a 68-year-old surveyor from Hull, remains in Gabon more than three weeks after escaping the sinking Prospector 5 rig, and his family say he cannot return home. His daughter says he is co-operating with a judicial investigation, but the family has no clear answer about whether his travel is formally restricted or when he may leave.
Richardson escaped with only his clothes and a few euros; his family say his mental health is deteriorating and fear he could be moved somewhere less comfortable and lose contact with them. Of 115 people aboard, 110 reached shore; by 2 November, four bodies had been recovered and one person remained missing. Borr Drilling said a preliminary assessment pointed to a punch-through during seabed preload activities, and it commissioned an independent investigation.
In short
- Richard Richardson remains in Gabon weeks after the rig sank.
- His family say they have no clear answers about his return.
- Borr Drilling is investigating a suspected seabed stability failure.
Explained simply
The Prospector 5 was a mobile offshore drilling rig operated by Borr Drilling, a company that provides rigs and crews to the oil and gas industry. It was being prepared for work off Gabon when it sank during activities to test the seabed beneath it.
Richard Richardson was on board as a surveyor, a specialist who gathers and checks information about sites and equipment. The people who escaped reached shore in Gabon, where local authorities are investigating the sinking; Borr Drilling has also commissioned an independent inquiry.
The incident has raised questions about what caused the rig to sink and how the people on board were accounted for. Richardsonās situation also involves the authoritiesā investigation and decisions about whether he can leave Gabon, while his family remains in contact from the UK.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “British grandfather, 68, who escaped sinking oil rig with just the clothes on his back is ‘not allowed to return home’ weeks on”.