Seismic research vessel catches fire in Gulf of Mexico, 46 people rescued

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The U.S. coast guard helped rescue 46 people after a seismic research vessel caught fire off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico on Monday.

The coast guard said the Rem Andes, a research vessel, issued a mayday alert following an engine room fire about 160 km south of Grand Isle, La.

The fire was extinguished by Monday afternoon, officials said.

In footage released by the coast guard, a helicopter lowers a rescue swimmer into the water, who approaches a life raft carrying the ship’s crewmembers and helps guide the dinghy to safety with other rescuers at the scene.

A coast guard spokesperson told Fox 8 WVUE-TV that 38 people had initially evacuated the ship. They were brought to shore by two Good Samaritan offshore supply vessels.

Eight crewmembers remained on board the vessel to put out the fire and assess the damage.

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All aboard are safe, company says

A spokesperson for Rem Offshore, a Norwegian shipping and offshore service company, said no crewmembers were injured during the fire.

“Emergency response procedures were activated immediately following the report of an engine room fire,” Rem Offshore media liaison Michael Anderson told Fox 8 WVUE-TV. “The fire was extinguished by the crew. The onshore response team and vessel crew began immediately co-ordinating closely with the U.S. coast guard, relevant authorities and response partners to manage the situation.”

Anderson said all crewmembers were safe and accounted for. He also said the integrity of the ship remained intact and that no spills or environmental impacts had been detected.

The Cypriot-flagged Rem Andes has been in service since 2012 and had passed its last U.S. coast guard port state control inspection in late 2025 with no issues recorded, the Maritime Executive reported.

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