A purpose-built rescue vessel attending offshore installations. An ERRV should combine good manoeuvrability, enhanced survivor reception and medical after-care facilities, state of art navigational/communications equipment and rescue craft capable of operating in severe weather.
Many ERRVs are fitted with both daughter craft (DC) and fast rescue craft (FRC). In many respects the launch/recovery phases of both FRC and DC are limiting factors in respect of their use and especially the recovery operation requires a high degree of professionalism and teamwork between the craft’s crew and those operating the davit on board of the ERRV.
In some cases the weather conditions are too severe to launch rescue craft, hence in such circumstances ERRVs with a mechanical recovery device are provided to recover survivors directly from the sea. The most common equipment is Dacon Scoop: a crane-operated rescue net for recovery of casualties directly from the water on board of a rescue vessel.
Further reading: UKOOA – ERRVA Emergency Response & Rescue Vessel Survey Guidelines.