Bristow New Search & Rescue Consortium for Gulf of Mexico (Video)

Bristow U.S. has been awarded a contract with Shell Offshore, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell (Shell), for medevac and search and rescue (SAR) services in the Gulf of Mexico.

“We are drawing on our years of experience of safely and efficiently operating SAR around the world to deliver the highest standard of rescue service and medical care in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Bristow Americas Regional Director Samantha Willenbacher.

Samantha Willenbacher, Bristow Americas Regional Director
Samantha Willenbacher, Bristow Americas Regional Director

“With our rescue fleet, all parts of the Gulf of Mexico are within reach of this lifesaving service.”

As part of the contract, Shell will also join the new SAR consortium formed by Bristow, which aims to provide unrivaled service and lifesaving capability to members while simultaneously reducing overall costs associated with SAR.

Bristow will deploy a dedicated state-of-the-art Sikorsky S-92 and a Leonardo AW139 to provide SAR response services.

An advanced dispatch system staffed by registered EMTs will provide pre-arrival medical instructions over the phone and efficiently prioritize and manage response efforts in the event that multiple, simultaneous call-outs are received.

Bristow will operate the new service from its standalone SAR facility at the South Lafourche Airport in Galliano, Louisiana.

(Bristow Group provides helicopter transportation to the offshore oil and gas industry, search-and-rescue (SAR) services, aircraft support services including helicopter maintenance, modification or repair, and helicopter pilot training. Courtesy of Bristow Group and YouTube)

Since 1971, Bristow has flown more than 65,000 SAR operational hours and conducted more than 20,100 SAR missions, during which more than 10,700 people have been rescued by our crews and helicopters worldwide.

Under the terms of the new contract, Bristow will provide full medevac and SAR coverage to Shell for deep water operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bristow’s Sikorsky S-92 dedicated to this service is the only all weather heavy SAR aircraft capable of reaching ultra deep water rigs and installations in the Gulf of Mexico.

(Sikorsky and Bristow Group have done business together for more than 40 years. Courtesy of Lockheed Martin and YouTube)

The Sikorsky S-92 is designed to respond quickly in the event of multiple-casualty situations.

Bristow’s state of the art emergency dispatch system employs nationally registered EMTs and certified with the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.

Bristow GroupBristow U.S., a subsidiary of Bristow Group Inc., is the leading provider of global industrial aviation services offering helicopter transportation, search and rescue (SAR) and aircraft support services, including maintenance and training, to government and civil organizations worldwide.