The Bourbon Rhode, with 14 crewmembers on board, ran into trouble “1,200 nautical miles off Martinique island and 60 nautical miles south-southeast from the eye of category 4 Hurricane Lorenzo,” the Bourbon group stated on 26 September. Facing rough seas, there was “a water ingress in the rear part of the vessel,” the company said.

The French navy, aided by the US coast guard and commercial ships, launched a rescue mission.

A lifeboat with three crewmembers on board was found, and the vessel was confirmed as sunk on 28 September. The body of one crewmember was recovered on 30 September, two on 1 October and another on 2 October. Bourbon said it was providing support to the sailors’ family and friends.

The Bourbon Rhode was “crewed mainly by Ukrainians,” the AFP news service noted.

The Bourbon Rhode was a tug and supply vessel built in 2006 that was 49.5m long with gross tonnage of 1.375t, according to Luxembourg Maritime Administration data published in February 2019. It was one of 47 ships registered in Luxembourg by Bourbon, which provides services to offshore oil and gas facilities.

The grand duchy’s merchant fleet comprised a total of 218 vessels.