Latest news with #MichaelFleming
The Guardian
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘A momentous day': families of Britons killed in 1980 oil rig disaster finally win compensation
'I think we all feel like we've had a bit of a weight lifted off our shoulders,' said Laura Fleming after an important milestone in one of Europe's longest-running industrial disaster sagas. 'It is just 45 years too late.' Fleming's father, Michael, was one of 123 men who were killed when the Alexander L Kielland accommodation rig capsized during a fierce storm in the Norwegian North Sea oilfields on 27 March 1980. After decades of campaigning and investigations, no person, body or company has been directly held to account for what happened. But, in a historic vote last week, Norway's parliament did finally vote to set up a state compensation scheme for relatives of the men who died. Fleming, 51, was in Oslo at Norway's parliament, the Storting, to witness the vote and said afterwards she had mixed emotions. 'My mind is always in two places,' she said. 'I will always feel in my heart that justice hasn't been done because, actually, nobody has been personally held to account for the dreadful decisions that were made regarding that rig – by allowing it to be used in the North Sea when it wasn't safe to do so. 'However, this is a major step. I think it's a momentous day for everybody, especially the Norwegians who've been fighting for the full 45 years.' The Kielland was a semi-submersible platform about 200 miles off the Norwegian coast. It was housing 212 workers from the nearby Edda drilling rig when one of its five legs, with horrible, lethal suddenness, snapped in a storm. Only 89 people survived. Michael Fleming, an electrical engineer, was one of 22 Britons killed in the disaster, which led to fundamental changes in safety routines and regulations in the wider oil industry. A report by experts at the University of Stavanger this year concluded the Norwegian authorities' actions before and after the collapse were seriously flawed. It said the reputation of the Norwegian petroleum industry was prioritised over providing justice to the survivors and victims' families. Eva Joly, one of the report's authors, said earlier this year: 'This incident became a disaster because of a long chain of negligence, omissions and violations of rules designed precisely to prevent an accident becoming a disaster.' Personal stories from the disaster, including 350 accounts, are gathered at a memory bank created by the university. Fleming was six when her dad died, so she has only fuzzy recollections, but she cherishes the ones she has. 'I still have some memories of my father – I am quite lucky,' she said. 'I met a lady there who was in the womb when her dad died, so she didn't know him at all. 'We've all got very, very different stories. But when we all get together, we've all had the same feelings, the same loss of not having a father, mums who struggled by not having a husband.' When Michael died, the family were in the process of moving from Cumbria to a big, dilapidated house in County Durham. That is where Laura's mother, Maureen, 82, still lives. 'My mum said that was her catharsis: doing the house up, the garden, going to yoga … that's what got her through the death of my father.' The 89 survivors and the bereaved families – between 300 and 400 children lost their fathers, according to campaigners – received some compensation from insurers of the company that ran the rig, but no payout from the state. The amount of compensation families receive will now be negotiated. It was 45 years late, but it was the right thing to do, said Fleming, a mediator who works with children. 'Norway is a very rich country and now finally they're deciding to give a tiny bit of that wealth back for those men that unwittingly sacrificed their lives for profits.' Fleming said hers and other British families had been unaware of the true nature of the accident for years. The Kielland Network's founder, Kian Reme, was the person who contacted British families but he died from cancer last year. About 40 network members were at the Norwegian parliament last week and there was sadness at the absence of Reme, who lost his brother, Rolf, in the disaster. 'If it wasn't for him, I don't think any of this would have happened today,' said Fleming. 'He never gave up. He was a completely amazing man.'
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Hoffman Estates man attacked 87-year-old neighbor, police say
The Brief A Hoffman Estates man was accused of attempted murder in an alleged attack on his 87-year-old neighbor. Police found the victim with multiple cuts, including to his neck. It was unclear what led to the alleged atttack. HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - A Hoffman Estates man was charged with attempted murder in connection with an attack on his 87-year-old neighbor on Thursday afternoon. Michael Fleming, 35, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery of a victim over the age of 60, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, according to Hoffman Estates police. What we know Around 3:39 p.m. on Friday, police responded to the 3500 block of Hillside Court for a report of a fight. Officers arrived and found an 87-year-old man with apparent cuts to his body, including the throat. The 911 caller told authorities that the other man involved in the fight had fled the scene. Before the victim was taken to Lutheran General Hospital, he told officers the name of the alleged suspect. A short time later, police found the suspect near Otis Road in Barrington Hills and arrested him without incident, and identified him as Fleming. The suspect is a known acquaintance of the victim. Cook County prosecutors approved charges against Fleming. Police said the alleged attack appeared to be isolated and there was no immediate danger to the public. What we don't know It was unclear exactly what led to the alleged attack.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nicholasville Police Department makes big investment in life-saving devices
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — Since becoming chief of the Nicholasville Police Department in 2023, Michael Fleming has set out to ensure that the law goes far beyond arrests and incarceration. His mission is to work to have the police department play a bigger role within the community. Barbourville school mourns the death of student Nicholasville Police Department makes big investment in life-saving devices Trump administration reverses planned closures of 3 dozen US mine safety offices 'Our whole goal is to do much more in this community than just take people to jail. It's all about community service. And what better way to serve the community than to have tools in every officer's hands that can save lives,' said Fleming. One of those tools is the automated external defibrillator—more commonly known as an AED. 'It's a great tool for not only cardiac arrest but opioid response as well. A lot of opioid overdoses result in cardiac arrest,' Fleming explained. 'We are usually closest to these types of calls. And for officers to have this type of tool on hand immediately saves time. And time is what you know is paramount when you're talking about saving a life that's in cardiac arrest.' Previously, the Nicholasville Police Department had about eight bulkier, less advanced AED units. Now, Fleming said the department bought 85 smart AEDs. That is enough for every patrol officer, detective, administrator, and even school resource officer to have with them wherever they go. The devices are also connected to the 911 dispatch system, meaning officers can be alerted to emergencies even when they're off duty. 'It's great for officers. They even will take it into their house at night, and one of their neighbors can end up having a cardiac event, and they could rush over and save their life,' he said. Perhaps the most important aspect of the new AEDs, though, is that they are incredibly easy to use. Simply by turning the device on, it begins telling the user what to do, as well as providing safety instructions. The device can be used in English or Spanish. Fleming demonstrated using the device in an interview with FOX 56 News. He pointed out how the device tells the officer when to begin doing CPR. It even plays a ticking rhythm to do chest compressions to. 'For officers that are CPR trained once every two years, this is giving them those step-by-step instructions for that high-stress time when they may forget something,' said Fleming. 'Really, the AED's telling them everything.' Equipping the department with these advanced AEDs didn't come cheap. The total cost was more than $200,000. However, the investment was made possible through Kentucky's share of 2022 legal settlements with opioid manufacturers that contributed to the rising opioid crisis. Fleming pointed out that these devices are a good thing this money is going toward. He told FOX 56 he is hopeful that the new AEDs will help officers save some lives when duty calls. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
