Bourbon AHTS crew members kidnapped

Paris-headquartered Bourbon confirms that 10 members of the crew of the Bourbon Sagitta have been kidnapped in Cameroon, West Africa.

At about 0h 00 this morning, a number of armed men in three boats, boarded the Bourbon Sagitta, an Anchor Handling Tug Support vessel that was assisting loading operations of crude oil from a field off the Bakasi Peninsula (180 km from Douala).

Ten of the 15 crew members (two Cameroonians, one Tunisian, one Senegalese and six French seamen) were kidnapped. No one was injured. The ship and the staff still on board are now safe.

An Emergency Unit was immediately put together by Bourbon which is working closely with the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Tunisian authorities and the local Cameroonian authorities.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs wishes to emphasize that the utmost discretion is necessary in order to achieve a satisfactory outcome to this affair.

Bourbon says it will disclose any new information when available and verified.