Ecumenical charity Liverpool Seafarers Centre offered support to crew members following a death at sea.
The centre was called in by port police after the death on board a safety vessel that serves oil rigs and other installation platforms in the Irish Sea.
Crew members found the man, the ship’s cook, in his cabin when he failed to report for duty. They performed CPR but failed to get a response, when paramedics boarded the ship, he was pronounced dead.
Centre chief executive John Wilson visited the vessel when it returned to Liverpool to offer care to those affected by the incident. The ship is manned by 13 crew at any one time, who spend 28 days at sea. The cook, however, can spend much longer on board, meaning he is known by several teams of crew. The ship was on its 26th day at sea when the incident happened.
John, who attended with a trauma counsellor, said: “The crew member was a key member on board and was very well liked by everyone. He was known by those crew members on board and those about to board for their 28-day stint, as his contract overlapped.
“I led a short time of reflection where individuals could speak if they wished to, whether it was to pay tribute to him or even just say one word about him.”
Crew members were also given the chance to speak to John on a one-to-one basis, then and at any point in the future.
“The trauma won’t necessarily hit at this time – it could be tomorrow, it could be six months down the line,” he said. “They can contact the centre at any time if they require support.
“When you spend that much time on a ship, living and working together, you become a small close-knit community. This is why the outreach work and pastoral care we offer at Liverpool Seafarers Centre is so vital.”