A comprehensive underwater recovery operation continues to search for the remains of Pete Phillip, a 45-year-old Well Services Ltd employee presumed dead following the partial collapse of Rig 110 in the East Soldado Field of the Gulf of Paria in December 2024. Despite four separate diving expeditions conducted last week, search teams have yet to locate any trace of the missing worker.
The prolonged recovery process has left Phillip’s family in emotional limbo as they approach the one-year anniversary of the tragedy. His widow, Candacy, received official updates from Well Services Petroleum Company Ltd confirming the unsuccessful search efforts. The family recently held a memorial service at their La Romaine residence to commemorate the anniversary while maintaining hope for eventual closure.
The complex salvage operation has progressed through multiple phases, with initial stabilization work only commencing in November due to delayed equipment arrival from a U.S.-based contractor and necessary approvals from regulatory bodies including the Environmental Management Agency and the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries. Company representatives indicate the search will continue intensively once the damaged rig structure is fully lifted from the water.
Phillip’s legacy includes his five children, youngest among them Javon, born two months after the accident and given the middle name ‘Pete’ in honor of his father. While the family attempts to move forward with life, including celebrating Christmas together, relatives have expressed profound dissatisfaction with the pace of the recovery process, noting that bureaucratic delays have prolonged their anguish.