A fire aboard the Cyprus-flagged seismic research vessel Rem Andes forced most of its crew to abandon ship on October 12, about 100 nautical miles south of Grand Isle, Louisiana. Local reports put 46 people aboard, with 38 evacuating into life rafts while eight remained on board to fight the fire and assess damage.

A Coast Guard C-27 Spartan from Air Station Clearwater intercepted the mayday call and diverted to assist, joined by an HC-144 Ocean Sentry from Aviation Training Center Mobile and an MH-60 Jayhawk from Air Station New Orleans. Nearby offshore supply vessels recovered the evacuees and brought them to Port Fourchon.

The fire has been extinguished and no injuries were reported. The 88-meter vessel, built in 2012 and operated by Norway-based Rem Offshore, is coordinating commercial salvage operations. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage have not been disclosed.

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