Eight feared dead in North Sea boat tragedy
Three crewmen have died and hopes are fading for five others after a boat capsized near a drilling rig in the North Sea.
The missing five are believed to be trapped inside the hull of the upturned supply tug.
A coastguard spokesman said it would be a "miracle" if any had been able to survive the night in freezing waters. "We are not really expecting to find survivors now," she said.
"There is a chance there is an air pocket somewhere, but that chance is ever so slim."
Navy divers equipped with heat seeking cameras are still searching for the five, but rescue helicopters deployed yesterday are not being sent out again this morning, as the men are not thought to be visible from the sky.
The operation is expected to reclassified from Search and Rescue to Search and Recovery this morning.
The dead men were part of a 15-strong Norwegian crew aboard the Bourbon Dolphin which overturned at around 5.20pm yesterday while undertaking an operation at the drilling rig Transocean Rather, 75 nautical miles north west of Shetland.
The other seven crew members were airlifted to Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick, Shetland last night.
The ship is less than a year old and is owned by Bourbon Norway.
All non-essential personnel were taken off the Transocean Rather platform last night as there was a very minimal risk that the capsized vessel could damage the platform.
The missing five are believed to be trapped inside the hull of the upturned supply tug.
A coastguard spokesman said it would be a "miracle" if any had been able to survive the night in freezing waters. "We are not really expecting to find survivors now," she said.
"There is a chance there is an air pocket somewhere, but that chance is ever so slim."
Navy divers equipped with heat seeking cameras are still searching for the five, but rescue helicopters deployed yesterday are not being sent out again this morning, as the men are not thought to be visible from the sky.
The operation is expected to reclassified from Search and Rescue to Search and Recovery this morning.
The dead men were part of a 15-strong Norwegian crew aboard the Bourbon Dolphin which overturned at around 5.20pm yesterday while undertaking an operation at the drilling rig Transocean Rather, 75 nautical miles north west of Shetland.
The other seven crew members were airlifted to Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick, Shetland last night.
The ship is less than a year old and is owned by Bourbon Norway.
All non-essential personnel were taken off the Transocean Rather platform last night as there was a very minimal risk that the capsized vessel could damage the platform.