The federal agency investigating the deadly capsizing of the Seacor Power lift boat off the Louisiana coast has issued a preliminary report on the incident, revealing new details about the horrific maritime accident that claimed the lives of 13 people last month.
Seacor Power Was Headed to Talos Energy Platform in Gulf of Mexico
Nineteen maritime workers were aboard the Seacor Power, a 175-foot lift boat operated by Houston, Texas-based Seacor Marine, when it capsized off the coast of Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on April 13th. Six crew members were rescued from the Gulf of Mexico within hours of the accident, while the bodies of six others were recovered over the next several days. Seven remain missing and are presumed dead.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the vessel had been chartered by Talos Energy and left Port Fourchon around 1:30 p.m. It was headed for the oil and gas lease area Main Pass Block 138 in the Gulf of Mexico. The voyage was expected to take 18 hours at a speed of about 4 knots.
At approximately 7:02 a.m. – 5 ½ hours before the Seacor Power departed – the vessel received an emailed weather report forecasting afternoon winds at 9 to 12 knots from the southeast with 3-foot seas.
Lift Boat Capsized During Attempt to Lower Legs in Rough Seas
“NTSB investigators learned that at about 3:30 p.m., as the Seacor Power transited the open waters of the Gulf, a squall passed over the lift boat,” the report states. “With visibility dropping and winds increasing significantly, the crew decided to lower the Seacor Power’s legs to the seafloor to hold the vessel in position until the storm passed. The crewmember at the helm attempted to turn the Seacor Power into the wind as the legs began to descend. Before the turn was completed, the lift boat heeled to starboard and capsized.”
Several crew members were able to escape onto the exposed port side of the Seacor Power deckhouse. But high winds of 30–40-knots and 10-to-12-foot seas prevented rescuers from reaching those who remained on the vessel. Some were washed into the water, and six were eventually rescued. One survivor suffered a serious injury.
Other vessels in the area reported heavy rain with winds exceeding 80 knots and building seas at the time of the accident, the NTSB said.
Seacor Power Lift Boat Investigation Will Continue
The NTSB report is preliminary and is subject to change.
Once the Seacor Power is salvaged, Board investigators intend to return to inspect the vessel and collect further evidence. Salvage crews recently completed the removal of diesel fuel from the capsized vessel.
The NTSB continues to investigate the accident in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard, Seacor Marine LLC, the National Weather Service, and the American Bureau of Shipping.
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