GEOJE, SOUTH KOREA — A routine equipment test aboard a massive offshore vessel under construction turned fatal this week, claiming the life of a 39-year-old Brazilian supervisor at the Hanwha Ocean shipyard. Rodrigo Reis Barreto, an employee of the Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras, died on Wednesday, September 3, after a platform structure collapsed and he fell into the sea.

The tragic incident occurred during a load test on a stern crane winch of the FPSO P-79, a Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel being built for Petrobras. Mr. Barreto was supervising the procedure when a support structure on the deck gave way. Video footage of the event shows the moment of the collapse. Two other workers who were on the platform at the time managed to hold on and were later rescued with non-life-threatening injuries.

Emergency responders, including the Changwon Coast Guard, launched a search and recovery operation. Mr. Barreto was pulled from the water approximately 90 minutes after the fall but was in a state of cardiorespiratory arrest. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was officially pronounced dead.

Investigations Launched as Work Halted

In the wake of the accident, Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering) issued a formal apology and suspended all related operations at the yard. The company pledged its full cooperation with South Korean authorities to determine the cause of the structural failure.

Petrobras also released a statement confirming the death of its employee and stated it is providing "full assistance to the family" of Mr. Barreto. The company has initiated its own investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal event.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Oil Workers of Brazil (FUP) has publicly called for a rigorous and transparent investigation, demanding that union representatives be allowed to participate to ensure accountability and prevent future tragedies.