[UPDATED] Family losing patience as Pete Phillip missing at sea for 44 days

WELL Services Ltd worker Pete Phillip's body has been missing at sea for 44 days, and his grieving and angry relatives say they have run out of all patience with the company. They are demanding immediate action to recover his body, while also criticising recent comments by Energy Minister Stuart Young.
Phillip's younger brother Elvis, his sister Paula Baxam, and their mother Patricia joined Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) president general Ancel Roget outside the company's Otaheite office on February 4. The family said they were very dissatisfied with the company's approach to the situation.
"It's only when you inside it, then you does really feel how it is. They could drink up and eat up all they want while other people grieving. Look the length of time that already passed. Just give we back we brother, nah," Elvis said.
He insisted Well Services can do more to recover his brother's body.
"I know when a company has to do an operation there's something called expediting. I know how fast equipment could reach here. If they have to bring a jumbo plane to get something into the country to do their operations, they will do that at whatever cost. I know how it is.
"But this operation to recover my brother is not making money for them..."
Roget agreed.
"They know exactly where that body is, but in their opinion, it is too expensive to retrieve it at this time."
An update from the company on January 9 said it believes it has located Phillip's body in a collapsed rig, but the rig first needed to be stabilised and specialised equipment was needed to do this. The rig partially collapsed on December 22.
A company update two weeks ago to Phillip's widow Candacy said the company hired to oversee the recovery operation could not find the necessary equipment locally. It said the equipment had been procured internationally and is expected to arrive within the first two weeks of March.
Elvis and his sister said they were very disappointed. Baxam said if the deadline for the equipment to arrive was accurate, there may not even be a body to recover.
"What will we bury? Bones maybe? Clothes? A boots? We don't know what it is we will be getting to even self have a funeral and see our sibling for the last time," Baxam said. Nearby, her mother shook her head and wiped away tears.
She said the family had been understanding and gave the company time to do its work. But now, the wait has become unbearable.
"His baby will be born soon and yet still we not getting an answer (on when his body will be retrieved). This is failure and we can't take it any more. We cannot sleep. I have not been sleeping since this thing happened."
Candacy is expected to give birth to their last child by the end of February.
Inconsolable, Phillip's mother Patricia, 70, said the baby could be born sooner, as Candacy said she has already started to feel labour pains.
Apart from Well Services, Heritage Petroleum Ltd, the Ministry of Energy and the Occupational Safety and Health Authority are also investigating the incident which led to the rig's becoming destabilised and partially collapsing and Phillip's being thrown into the sea.
Roget claimed had workers represented by the OWTU been on the rig, the incident would not have happened.
"If the union was there, we would have ensured inspection of the facilities on time, proper monitoring, all of the reports and recommendations of what is to be done to those facilities to make it safe for human work and occupation. All of those things would have been done and it would have been done on time," Roget said.
When contacted, a Well Services representative told Newsday on February 4: "We will not be commenting on Mr Roget (sic) pronouncements."
However, in a release later that day, the company said it remains fully dedicated to continuing the salvage and recovery processes.
It reiterated the need for the rig first to be stabilised (before Phillip's body can be recovered) and insisted it would not put anyone's life at risk during that operation.
"Only when the rig is properly stabilised will the recovery efforts proceed in full, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the safety of all involved and achieving the successful recovery of the body of Pete Phillip," the company release said.
It added: "Well Services deeply empathises with the family members affected by this situation and shares in the sense of loss, as the individual involved was a valued member of the team."
Three of Phillip's four children have been hospitalised with what the family believes is the flu virus, Elvis revealed.
The revelation came as he elaborated on the struggle his sister-in-law has had to endure with Phillip no longer being with them, all while she is expecting to give birth soon.
"They were home from school and she have to be back and forth, sleeping in a hospital bed with the kids. She don't have a husband to support her," he said.
Editor's Note: This is an update to an earlier story published online at newsday.co.tt which can be read below:
RELATIVES of Well Services Ltd employee Pete Phillip have run out of patience with the company 44 days after he went missing and are now calling for immediate action to recover his body.
Phillip was left unaccounted for after the December 22 partial collapse of Well Services' Rig 110. Search-and-rescue operations were converted to a search-and-recover operation on December 26 as the company presumed he was dead. The operation has since been paused to acquire specialised equipment.
Phillip's younger brother Elvis, his sister Paula Baxam, and their mother Patricia joined Oilfields Workers' Trade Union president general Ancel Roget outside the company's Otaheite office on the morning of February 4. They all expressed dissatisfaction with the company's approach to the situation.
"Is only when you inside it, then you does really feel how it is. Them could drink up and eat up all they want while other people grieving. Look the length of time it already happen. Just give we back our brother."
Employed with an international company, Elvis believes Well Services could do more to recover his brother's body.
"I know when a company has to do an operation there's something called expediting. I know how fast equipment could reach here. If they have to bring a jumbo plane to get something into the country to do their operation, they'd do that at whatever cost it is. I know how it is. But this, recovering my brother, not making money for them, so they have no care in the world."
A company update two weeks ago to Phillip's widow Candacy said the company hired for the recovery operation could not find the necessary equipment locally. It said the equipment was procured internationally and is expected to arrive in-country within the first two weeks of March.
However, Elvis and his sister are expecting disappointment when that time comes.
"We done expecting some excuse. Mark my words," Elvis said.
If the timeline is adhered to, Baxam doubts there would be anything left of her brother to recover.
"What it is we going to bury? Bones maybe? Clothes? A boots? We don't know what it is we getting to even self open a box and say we getting to see our sibling for the last time."
This story was originally published with the headline Missing rig worker's family loses patience and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.
RELATIVES of Well Services Ltd employee Pete Phillip have run out of patience with the company 44 days after he went missing and are now calling for immediate action to recover his body.
Phillip was left unaccounted for after the December 22 partial collapse of Well Services' Rig 110. Search-and-rescue operations were converted to search-and-recover on December 26 as the company presumed he was dead. The operation had since been paused to acquire specialised equipment.
Phillip's younger brother Elvis, his sister Paula Baxam and their mother Patricia joined Oilfields Workers' Trade Union president general Ancel Roget outside the company's Otaheiti office on the morning of February 4. They all expressed dissatisfaction with the company's approach.
"Is only when you inside it, then you does really feel how it is. Them could drink up and eat up all they want while other people grieving. Look the length of time it already happen. Just give we back our brother."
Employed with an international company, Elvis believes Well Services could do more to recover his brother's body.
"I know when a company has to do an operation there's something called expediting. I know how fast equipment could reach here. If they have to bring a jumbo plane to get something into the country to do their operation, they'd do that at whatever cost it is. I know how it is. But this, recovering my brother, not making money for them so they have no care in the world."
A company update two weeks ago to Phillip's widow Candacy said the company hired for the recovery operation could not find the necessary equipment locally. It said the equipment had been procured internationally and is expected to arrive in the first two weeks of March.
However, Elvis and his sister are expecting disappointment when that time comes.
"We done expecting some excuse. Mark my words," Elvis said.
If the timeline is adhered to, Baxam doubts there would be anything left of her brother to recover.
"What it is we going to bury? Bones maybe? Clothes? A boots? We don't know what it is we getting to even self-open a box and say we getting to see our sibling for the last time."
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"[UPDATED] Family losing patience as Pete Phillip missing at sea for 44 days"