Rig worker widow’s cry: ‘If not his body, at least bring back Pete’s clothes’

DEAD AT SEA: Well Services Petroleum Co Ltd employee Pete Phillip. -

AFTER almost 11 months of waiting – during which time she gave birth to a child who will never know his father's voice or feel his touch – Candacy Phillip says that at long last she and her family can get closure, as an operation has commenced to retrieve the body of her husband Pete Phillip from a rig which partially collapsed on December 22.

She said even if the retrieval operation on the Well Services Petroleum Co Ltd's rig, cannot locate her husband's body, she would be satified with his clothing being brought back, so as to confirm that he is no longer alive so that she and her family can, finally, move on with their lives.

She is not optimistic that 45-year-old Phillip's body would be found after so many months out at sea.

"Honestly, I'm hoping they find at least the clothes that he wore during his last hours. But really and truly, I not looking for a body," Candacy told Newsday on Sunday. "Anything that could prove he was there...anything to help bring us closure," she cried.

It's been almost 11 months since the rig, based in the Heritage East Soldado Field partially collapsed, on December 22, injuring one man and leaving Phillip unaccounted for. He was presumed dead by the company on December 26, after days of unsuccessful searching.

Phillip's sister, Paula Baxam, was a bit more optimistic.

She believes there would be enough of her brother's earthly remains that the family could use to give him a proper funeral, though this would be a closed-casket send-off.

"They (the company) came out and said they will find something because his body stick up in somewhere, they know exactly which part he is...so they will find something. What they was explaining to us is that his whole body is not down in the water," Baxam said.

She said news of the commencement of recovery operations left Phillip's mother in tears – overjoyed that finally, whatever is left of her son, is being brought back home. "This has been long, long overdue," Baxam said.

She said the family was not given a timeline on when they could expect the remains to be retrieved, but hopes it could be done before the one-year anniversary of the accident. She said company officials told relatives it would not take long to access the spot where they believe Phillip remains are, once the rig is stabilised.

PETE'S FAMILY: From left, Candacy Phillip Josiah, Jaziel. Jelicia and Justin at their La Romaine home on January 6. They are the wife and children of rig worker Pete Phillip who is presumed dead after the rig he was working on at sea partially collapsed in December last year. - File photo by incoln Holder

Although the company has a fair idea where his body could be, recovery efforts have been stymied by what it said was the unstable structure, and this instability is what first needs to be addressed.

A November 12 release said an internationally recognised, US-based contractor with extensive expertise in marine salvage and recovery operations within the oil and energy sector commenced the salvage and recovery efforts. It said the first phase, which focuses on risk mitigation and site stabilisation to ensure the safety of personnel, the protection of the marine environment, and the integrity of surrounding assets, was underway.

It said the second phase, which focuses on retrieving Phillip's remains and removing the rig structure, would occur only after stabilisation works were completed.

No stranger to disappointment after operations faced hurdles over the last few months, Candacy said that this time around, she is hoping this attempt goes smoothly. She said she was reassured by a manager at the company last week that things were proceeding as planned.

She said the company has maintained contact with her and has been providing assistance, especially support in raising the Phillip's children now that he is gone.

Candacy gave birth to Phillip's son, Javon, months after the accident on February 21. Javon, who will never feel the touch of his father, or hear his voice, carries his father's name as his own middle name.

In March, Well Services said its incident response was delayed after it needed to meet requirements to mitigate environmental risks. The company said it explored using divers to retrieve the remains but ultimately decided not to due to the safety risk.

A month later, Phillip's siblings and mother demonstrated outside Well Services' Otaheite, South Oropouche office, venting frustrations over the lengthy wait to recover his remains.

In May, the company's CEO, Anthony Brash, met with Minister in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI), Ernesto Kesar, and other ministry technocrats, informing them that salvage operations would begin in June. However, a release said the company subsequently learnt it required Environmental Management Agency approvals, which it expected to receive in September after submitting the required documents in July.

The Phillip family is not the only one who have been awaiting words on the fate of a loved one who has been missing at sea for months and is presumed dead.

Coast Guard Able Seaman Kieron Simon's body remains lost at sea after he died during a counter-narcotics operation near Grenada on February 20.

Simon and another sailor were clearing a submarine vessel – believed to have been transporting illegal narcotics – occupied by three Colombian nationals, when, it was claimed, rough seas caused the vessel to overturn as the captives were being removed.

The other officer was thrown off into the sea, while Simon, who was inside the submarine, remained trapped inside as it went down to the seabed. For months, the TT Coast Guard has remained steadfastly silent on whether or not any attempt has been made, or will be made to retrieve Simon's body.