When Shell began its Deepwater Drilling Project in Mexican Waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the company needed to contract for civilian search-and-rescue services that the country did not then offer.

In a first for Mexico, a handful of companies have joined forces to provide the first non-governmental SAR service to drilling rigs off its shores, according to Chris MacKay, owner and international operations manager for Total Response Solutions, based in New Brunswick, Canada.

TRS is contracted to provide hoist operators and rescue specialists for the venture, establishing SAR overwatch for Shell’s “Deepwater Thalassa” drilling rig through 2023. The rig is positioned about 160 nautical miles due east of the border between Mexico and Texas in western Gulf.