The oil industry took my dad, but also helped me grieve
Shane Gorman lost his father when the Piper Alpha oil rig exploded. Years later, working in the offshore oil industry himself helped Shane come to terms with his father's death.
In July 1988 just days after he joined the army Shane Gorman was sent home with no explanation. On the way he saw the newspaper headlines. The Piper Alpha oil platform had caught fire and collapsed into the North Sea killing 167 people, including Shane's father who was a safety officer on the rig.
They were very close, and his death affected Shane deeply, he carried the trauma for years. In his late 30s he decided he needed to find out more - by going to work on oil rigs himself. This helped Shane come to terms with his father's death and eventually, like his father, he became a safety officer. He now works as a safety consultant for a variety of offshore industries.
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Julian Siddle
Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Shane Gorman at the age of 18 with his father David Gorman, they are in a pub, raising bottles, days before Shane joined the army. Backdrop is the pub bar showing beer taps and spirit bottles. Photo credit Shane Gorman)
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