A dozen maritime workers have gone missing off the Louisiana coast after a large commercial lift boat capsized Tuesday afternoon during a strong storm in the Gulf of Mexico.
Seacor Power Capsized with 18 Aboard
The Seacor Power, a 129-foot vessel owned by Houston, Texas-based Seacor Marine, had departed Port Fourchon, Louisiana, at about noon on April 13th. Nineteen people were aboard the vessel when it capsized sometime around 4:30 p.m., just 8 miles south of the coastal community.
Photos from the scene show the lift boat almost completely submerged in the churning seas, with just one corner of the boat protruding from the water.
The incident drew a massive response, with the Coast Guard deploying two cutters, two smaller boats, a helicopter, and an airplane to the area. Multiple civilian boaters also assisted with the rescue effort, which continued late into the night.
6 Rescued, Search for Missing Continues
The first Coast Guard ship arrived on the scene within 30 minutes of the Seacor Power’s initial distress call. But as of 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, only six people had been pulled from the sea, two by the Coast Guard and four by private civilian boaters.
The Coast Guard remains on the scene, and the search for survivors is ongoing.
“The hope is that we can bring the other 12 home alive,” Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson III told the Associated Press on Wednesday morning.
“We continue to pray for the 18 men who were on that vessel as well as their families.”
According to Chaisson, crew members’ families had begun gathering in Port Fourchon on Tuesday night, seeking any available information on their loved ones.
Seacor Power Lift Boat Capsized During Unexpectedly Strong Storm
Lift boats are generally used to transport workers to offshore oil rigs and platforms.
Built in 2002, the Seacor Power was designed with a wide, open deck and can raise itself out of the water on stilts to perform maintenance on oil rigs. The ship can carry up to 12 crew members and 36 passengers.
While it’s not clear exactly what caused the Seacor Power to capsize, the disaster did occur during an unexpectedly strong storm that overturned vessels in the Gulf of Mexico and damaged property in New Orleans and along the coast of southern Louisiana. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the tempest generated wind gusts as high as 75 mph in Grand Isle.
“Ive NEVER Heard soo many MAYDAY calls in my life!” one witness wrote in a Facebook post that has been shared more than 3,000 times. “Waves are breaking over the bow! A liftboat flipped.”
The witness also indicated that “other boats have flipped” and urged people to “pray for the Lost!”
Undefeated Louisiana Maritime Lawyer with Billions Won: Call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here for a Free Consult.
Our Undefeated Louisiana Maritime Lawyers will continue monitoring developments surrounding the Seacor Power lift boat capsizing off Port Fourchon and will post updates as new information is made available.
In addition to being undefeated, we’ve won billions – including Record-Breaking Verdicts and Settlements — for maritime workers injured or tragically killed aboard oil rigs, drilling platforms, and support vessels operating off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana.
To learn more about our success representing maritime workers and their families, visit our “Results” page or Click Here to see what our clients have said about their experience with our firm.
If you were impacted by the lift boat capsizing off the Louisiana coast, please call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here to send us a confidential email via our “Contact Us” form.
Our Experienced Maritime Attorneys will take the time to answer your questions, explain your rights, and provide all of the information you need to make the best decision for yourself and your family.
All consultations are free, and as we only work on a contingency fee basis, you won’t pay us a dime unless we win your case.