A 129-foot lift boat with 18 personnel on board caught in rough weather, capsized off Port Fourchon, La. One person was dead and six were rescued, reports The NewYorkTimes.
What happened?
The vessel, a 129-foot commercial lift boat, capsized about eight miles off Port Fourchon, La., according to the Coast Guard.
Distress call & rescue measures
The Coast Guard received a distress message at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday that the boat had capsized.
Six people were rescued at sea and “safely transported” back to shore, Capt. Will Watson, commander of Coast Guard Sector New Orleans, told reporters on Wednesday.
One person was found dead on the surface of the water, he said.
“Our rescue crews have been diligently continuing the search and rescue efforts for the missing people from the capsized vessel,” Captain Watson said in a statement. “Anytime our Coast Guard crews head out for search and rescue, it is always our hope to safely bring those people back and reunite them with their friends and families.”
About the vessel
Lift boats are self-propelled work vessels with broad open decks and are commonly found along the Gulf Coast. They support drilling, construction and oceanic exploration and can work in shallow or deepwater settings.
Archie Chaisson III, the Lafourche Parish president, described lift vessels as “huge economic drivers” in the region.
Captain’s doubt
Captain Watson said it was unclear why the Seacor Power was on the water on Tuesday. It left Port Fourchon at about 1:30 p.m. and was heading east to Main Pass, about 28 miles away.
The vessel “ran into some trouble with the wind and the sea about 4 p.m.,” Mr. Chaisson said.
7 to 9 foot waves
When the Coast Guard arrived on Tuesday, rescuers faced seven- to nine-foot waves and winds of 80 to 90 miles an hour, Captain Watson said.
Harris Cheramie, Jr., the president of the Greater Lafourche Port Commission said the vessel was most likely surprised by the powerful winds that knocked it over. The storm, he said, had caught other boaters by surprise, including a shrimping vessel. “It was a freak storm,” Mr. Gisclair said.
Captain Watson said he was hopeful the Coast Guard would find survivors.
“We’re giving it all we have,” Captain Watson said. “You can’t do this work if you’re not optimistic.”
Survivors trapped inside the vessel?
A Coast Guard official said it was possible that survivors might be trapped inside the vessel.
The boat remains capsized on its starboard side in about 50 feet of water, Captain Watson said.
#UPDATE #HappeningNow the @USCG & multiple #goodSamaritan rescue 6 people and searching for more from capsized vessel 8 miles south of #GrandIsle, #Louisiana
For more information visit our #newsroom https://t.co/e7YE3JMVaw#Ready, #Relevant, #Responsive pic.twitter.com/ThBhIn5fQT
— USCG Heartland (@USCGHeartland) April 14, 2021
The Coast Guard and private vessels were aiding in the search, Mr. Chaisson said that the weather conditions remain treacherous and would affect them.
“We continue to pray for everyone who is on that vessel, as well the families, as well as the Seacor Marine families,” Mr. Chaisson said. “We continue to pray for the rescue operators who are out there continuing to help bring these people home.”
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Source: The NewYorkTimes
