A crew member died June 2 after an incident on the Tidewater supply vessel Polaris off the U.S. East Coast.
The 272’x58’ DP2 platform supply vessel has been operating in support of Equinor’s Empire Wind project off New York. Tidewater confirmed the incident in a brief statement to news media.
“This is a tragic marine accident. Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and colleagues who have lost a loved one,” said Molly Morris, the senior vice president ay Equinor Renewables Americas.
The 810-MW Empire Wind 1 array is under construction near the vessel traffic separation lanes to New York Harbor, after the Trump administration lifted an earlier stop-work order levied in mid-April.
The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management stopped construction at the instruction of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who acted after offshore wind opposition groups urged action.
The reversal a month later came after discussions between federal and New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration, which indicated state energy planners would also start cooperating on new natural gas pipeline routes to the Northeast.
