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Where the seagulls soar and the mighty ocean roars
When the wind from the north blows so frantic;
On the banks of Newfoundland the oil rigs stand,
In search of crude from the cold northwest Atlantic.
She's the finest in the land, designed and built by man
To withstand all that nature has to offer;
And the Ocean Ranger's crew numbered eighty-four men true,
To their homes and their sons, wives and daughters.
Look away to the west, there's a storm upon the wind,
Bringing rain, snow, and seas four storeys high;
Look away to the west, will you see your homes again,
Or is this the time to say your last goodbye, your last goodbye?
And there's trouble from within, the rig is listing once again,
And the gallant crew are ordered to abandon;
But the hurricane's too strong, when the morning comes she's gone,
Not a soul survived to tell us what had happened, what had happened.
Husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers leave behind so many others
Who will not forget the price their loved ones paid;
Was it fate that dealt the hand, or the carelessness of man
That led so many to an early grave, early grave?
Look away to the west, there's a storm upon the wind,
Bringing rain, snow, and seas four storeys high;
Look away to the west, will you see your homes again,
Or is this the time to say your last goodbye, your last goodbye?
May God grant peace and serenity to our brothers lost at sea,
Give their families strength to bear their grief and pain;
And if our men must sweat and toil in pursuit of off-shore oil,
Pray to God to bring them safely home again, home again.
Where the seagulls soar and the mighty ocean roars
When the winds from the north blow so frantic;
On the banks of Newfoundland the oil rigs stand,
In search of crude from the cold northwest Atlantic.
~ 20th Anniversary of the Ocean Ranger
Disaster ~
On February 15, 1982, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
witnessed the worst offshore drilling accident in Canadian history.
The Ocean Ranger, an exploratory offshore drilling platform, sank
during a severe winter storm at the Hibernia oil discovery site.
Eighty-four lives were lost on that dreadful night and many lessons
were learned.
The tragedy of the Ocean Ranger continues to be a major influence
on our offshore industry. Government has continually examined the
safety issues that contributed to this disaster and has implemented
numerous changes to enhance the safety of our offshore workforce.
Major legislative and regulatory changes were made to the Atlantic
Accord Acts by the federal and provincial governments to establish
strict safety guidelines that must be followed from the initial design
of an offshore project to the actual implementation of safety systems
during the operations phase of development. These regulations
govern the necessary requirements of offshore safety.
Over the past two decades, government and industry players have
worked together to ensure that the necessary funding is available to
facilitate the important research needed to improve escape,
evacuation and rescue systems. New technologies have been
introduced including cold water survival suits and improved methods
of lifeboat deployment. Training requirements for offshore workers
have increased significantly and new facilities have been established
to ensure that these workers have the necessary safety skills to avoid
tragedy.
The North Atlantic Ocean is a very unpredictable and unforgiving
environment. Industry players have worked with government to
improve offshore health and safety. Their initiative and success in
preventing major incidents is encouraging. New technologies
continue to evolve and are regularly implemented. Government will
continue to work with industry players to ensure that offshore safety
remains the highest priority.
On behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, we
wish to remember the eighty-four lives that were lost 20 years ago.
May they never be forgotten.
2002 02 15 10:40a.m.
