Pete remains undersea: Family disgustedFORTY-SEVEN days ago, the employers of missing rig worker Pete Phillip contacted his family saying they are doing their best to retrieve his remains from the wreckage of Well Services Rig 110, which suffered a partial collapse in the Gulf of Paria on December 22, 2024.
They never heard from them again.
Phillip's brother, Elvis Phillip, said yesterday in a telephone interview with the Express that he had made several attempts to reach the company but failed.
He described the company's lack of response as 'disgusting'.
'I tried calling yesterday (Tuesday) and they didn't answer. They didn't even return the call. We messaged in the family group WhatsApp chat about three weeks ago and nothing yet. This whole situation is disgusting,' he said.
He said Tuesday marked four months since the tragic incident occurred.
The company has said that the location of Phillip's remains had been identified and efforts were being made to have an international company assist in the recovery.
'Four months and you're telling me you have nothing for the family? We don't know what angle the company is trying to take because after a while, even bones will deteriorate. So if they are going to do DNA testing, what can they test?' he said.
He added that while he was aware that the company maintained contact with Phillip's wife, Candacy, he said it was 'inconsiderate' that there was no communication with other family members.
'They're talking to Candacy because of the obligation, but what about us? We are his family, too. We are getting impatient. It is taking a real mental toll on my mother. She is not well after the incident, and she suffers from high blood pressure. Other family members have breakdowns,' he said.
Elvis Phillip said his brother's eldest child from a previous relationship, Isaiah, 18, was trying to cope with the loss. He said Isaiah, a Form Five student of St Benedict's College, San Fernando, will sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination in May/June.
'Isaiah is really taking a hard hit. He has to live with the trauma of not having a dad, and he is also not able to receive the support he had from his dad. Right now, he is getting some financial support from the company as he's still in secondary school, but what will happen when he goes to university?' he said.
He added: 'There are days I'll wake up and cry. I neglect my emotions to do what I need to do to work and take care of my family. But now that we are not getting any response, that is making it even worse. We're getting treated like we weren't even related to Pete. We would have spent so many years together as brothers, and now we're getting treated like we're nobody.'
In a media release on March 7, Well Services said through collaboration with a renowned international company in the search-and-recovery efforts for the missing rig worker, the company 'thoroughly explores a range of alternative strategies'.
'One such option involved the possibility of deploying divers to retrieve the remains. However, after careful assessment, this approach was deemed infeasible due to the inherent risks posed by the unstable and volatile conditions of the Well Services Rig 110. The safety of the divers could not be assured under these dangerous circumstances, and as such, this option was ultimately ruled out,' it said via the release.
The company added that they were 'simultaneously made aware of various administrative requirements related to the mitigation of environmental risks that needed to be addressed promptly'.
'Given the critical nature of these concerns, specific stipulations set forth by the insurance company and the international contractor have contributed to delays in the process.
'These requirements are crucial for ensuring compliance and minimising environmental impact, and as such, they have necessitated careful attention and coordination.
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