“We’ve got you!”

Kaj Emanuel Kristensen was boatmaster on the Fast Rescue Boat that saved the 40-year-old man from the water. Valentin Markussen was ordinary ship's assistant on the boat and Ivan Nørskov was the experienced AB.

This is how it felt for them:

KAJ:

”As soon as the alarm sounded, we hurried into our suits. All we know is that there is a man in the moon pool. (The moon pool is the name for the water directly beneath the rig, ed.) We quickly sail to the rig, where we find him. He is holding onto a lifebuoy and looks pale and completely stiff”.

VALENTIN:

”Kaj manoeuvres the boat on to the starboard side. I crawl out to the bow of the boat and grab hold of the collar of the man in the water. Ivan and I pull the man up. He is extremely cold because he is only wearing his boiler suit. Ivan holds the man close into his body to warm him and to support him, and he lies on Ivan during the journey back to the vessel”.

KAJ:

”The man is conscious and says “thank you” to which Ivan replies “take it easy - we’ve got you”. When we get back to the vessel and raise the boat up, colleagues are ready with a spine board. We put him onto the spine board and take him into the hospital on board. Everything goes according to plan. Then we go up to the master, who tells us that the helicopter has been called for – so we get ready to meet it”.

VALENTIN:

”The feeling afterwards is just fantastic. We have saved a life! I was so happy. All the training that we have been through really works. I will never complain about training! And I can remember that the next time I signed in on board, I said to my colleagues: Well lads, shall we go out and make a difference? I am still immensely happy about the experience and when I open the wallet that I received from the shipping company and see the inscription and date, I feel a great sense of pride”.

KAJ:

“We knew that he had been very lucky to survive and that we had done a good job. It was lucky for him, for us, for the customer – and for ESVAGT, which proved how important it is that we are there and that we work in the way that we do.

The best part of it all was when we received a letter from him a while after the rescue. He wrote that it was not just his life that we had saved, it was also his wife and children’s. I was very touched to read that”.