A crew member died last week while aboard a vessel working on the Empire Wind 1 project offshore New York.
The incident occurred June 2 aboard the Polaris, a DP2 platform supply vessel operated by Tidewater.
The fatality was reportedly confirmed by Equinor, the project developer, which said the incident occurred while a crew member was performing vessel maintenance on a ship preparing to work on Empire Wind.
Reports also said that the US Coast Guard command center in New York “was notified of a medevac on the vessel Polaris and reported that a crew member was unconscious from being electrocuted,” said Coast Guard spokesperson Breanna Boardman. At the time, the “vessel was about 27 miles off the New York Harbor” and a rescue swimmer landed and the crew member was transported to the hospital for treatment, Boardman said.
“This is a tragic marine accident,” said Molly Morris, senior vice president for Equinor Renewables Americas. “Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and colleagues who have lost a loved one. We extend our deepest condolences to all those affected.”
Tidewater has also reportedly confirmed the fatality in a statement, noting that emergency response procedures were immediately initiated. Despite the efforts of crew members and emergency response agencies, the crew member could not be saved.
The Coast Guard is currently investigating the cause of the incident, with Tidewater pledging full cooperation in the investigative process.
The Empire Wind 1 project, valued at $5 billion and designed to power 500,000 New York homes by 2027, recently resumed construction after a temporary suspension by the Trump Administration.
No additional details about the incident have been released, but Tidewater has indicated that further information will be provided as appropriate.
