Master of support ship replies to rescue critics

first time yesterday to the many criticisms made by survivors.

Alastair Letty, who became the on-scene commander during and after the

disaster, told the public inquiry at Aberdeen: ''The criticisms levelled

at myself and my crew were unwarranted and unjust.''

He added: ''I do not believe that anybody who was not there on that

night can imagine the magnitude and speed at which events took place,''

said Mr Letty, 42, of Sidmouth, Devon. ''It should be remembered that on

the night of the disaster, all those who witnessed it experienced the

disaster first hand as it was unfolding, without knowledge of what was

to happen next.

''There must be very few disasters which occur in which the rescuers

are confronted with this situation.''

Mr Letty pointed out that the multi-function Tharos was never designed

to be a rapid intervention vessel, but was built for the later stages of

a disaster. For example, her fire-fighting capabilities could be used to

kill rogue wells. He said that the water pumps on jet mode are so

powerful they can cut through steel, and cannot be used without

endangering personnel still on board.

Mr Letty also revealed for the first time that the Tharos pulled back

from the blazing Piper Alpha rig not because of the intense heat and

flames, but from fear of noxious gas. He said he was advised to do so

from on shore, either by the coastguard marine co-ordination centre at

Aberdeen, or by Occidental's operations HQ in the city.

''I had one hand set radio to one ear and one to the other,'' said Mr

Letty. ''It is difficult talking to two people and listening to them at

the same time.'' But he believed the advice came from Occidental, and it

was to pull clear due to the possibility of the noxious gas hydrogen

sulphide.

The inquiry heard that this withdrawal was logged one hour and

fourteen minutes after the first explosion on Piper Alpha. About two

minutes afterwards there was another enormous explosion, which Mr Letty

said he believed was the biggest of the disaster, in which 167 men died.

This set the sea alight, and created an island of fire measuring 100ft

across to the north of the disintegrating platform.

Mr. Letty said he hoped his statement and evidence ''will have refuted

criticisms.''

He added: ''I wish to express my admiration of all the people who

assisted with the rescue efforts, in particular the crews of the fast

rescue craft, especially the Silver Pit, Lowland Cavalier, and

Sandhaven.''

Several survivors have told the inquiry that they had expected the

Tharos to go in close to Piper Alpha and deploy its hydraulically

operated gangway to bridge the gap between it and the platform for

possible evacuation. But Mr Letty, the oil installation manager on

Tharos, explained that the fireboom on which the gangway is situated was

fully retracted on July 6 last year in readiness for a lifting operation

planned for the following day.

Mr Letty said the fireboom is extended by means of ''gripper jacks''

which slot forward two feet at a time. The fireboom is very large and

heavy, and each operation takes five or six minutes, meaning it takes

between 75 and 90 minutes to extend it by 30ft, and more than three

hours to reach its maximum of about 80ft. Then it will take an

additional seven or eight minutes to deploy the gangway by haydraulic

trolley.

Asked by Mr Ian Truscott, advocate for the Piper Alpha trade union

group, whether it would have been better if this operation could have

been done more quickly, Mr Letty said no. He said the Tharos was not

designed to be a rapid intervention vessel, and this was another

illustration of that.

The inquiry continues.