Gulf Of Mexico Boat Capsizing: What Happened?

The Gulf of Mexico is a popular destination for boat adventures, but it's not without its dangers. In April 2021, the Seacor Power, a lift boat, capsized in rough waters about eight miles off the coast of Louisiana. The vessel was carrying 19 people and, while six were rescued, five bodies were recovered and eight people were still missing when the Coast Guard called off the search after seven days.

The Seacor Power lift boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico in 2021

On April 13, 2021, the Seacor Power lift boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico, around eight miles off the Louisiana coast, near Port Fourchon. The boat, which was 129 feet long and weighed almost 2,300 tons, was carrying a crew of 19 people.

The Seacor Power was a commercial vessel that serviced oil platforms. On the day of the accident, it had been contracted by Talos Energy, an oil and gas producer, to bring personnel and cargo to an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico for cleaning before use.

The boat capsized due to severe weather conditions, including hurricane-force winds of 70-80 mph and rough seas of 7 to 9 feet. This weather pattern was caused by a weather phenomenon known as a "wake low." Despite multiple special marine warnings issued by the National Weather Service, the boat ventured out, and unfortunately encountered the dangerous conditions.

The U.S. Coast Guard led the search and rescue operations, recovering the bodies of five crew members and rescuing six others. Unfortunately, seven crew members were never found and presumed dead. The Coast Guard ultimately discontinued their search and rescue efforts on April 19, after an extensive search covering 9,268 square nautical miles.

The incident led to several wrongful death lawsuits, with families of the victims seeking justice and improved communication regarding search and rescue operations. The Seacor Power tragedy highlighted the risks and challenges associated with operating such vessels in rough weather conditions.

19 people were on board the boat

On April 12, 2021, the Seacor Power, a lift boat with 19 people on board, capsized in the Gulf of Mexico. The boat was travelling about eight miles off the Louisiana coast when it was hit by a storm with winds of 80 to 90 mph and waves 7 to 9 feet high.

Six people were rescued on the first day, and four bodies were recovered over the next few days. The search for the remaining nine crew members continued for six days, but they were never found. The Coast Guard called off the search after covering 9,000 square miles of waters off Louisiana.

The Seacor Power is a lift boat used as a temporary offshore platform in the oil and gas industry. It has three legs that can be lowered to the sea floor to lift the ship out of the water. When the boat capsized, the legs were fully retracted, making it more vulnerable. However, there are indications that the captain was trying to lower the legs when the ship overturned.

The president of Seacor Marine, the boat's owner, said that the weather conditions encountered by the Seacor Power were worse than expected and that the decision to go out was entirely up to the captain. The captain, David Ledet, was among the dead.

Six people were rescued

Divers were trying to get inside the boat, which had capsized in 50 to 55 feet of water. The search area for the remaining missing crew members covered an area the size of Rhode Island.

The boat was a lift boat, a type of vessel with three legs that can be lowered to the sea floor to raise the ship off the water and serve as a temporary platform. When they are travelling, the legs stick straight up in the air.

The boat's captain, David Ledet, was among the dead. Ledet was described as "one of our best captains" by the president of Seacor Marine, John Gellert. Gellert added that Ledet was "very prudent and conservative" and that the decision to go out in the boat was entirely up to him.

The boat's cook, 53-year-old Anthony Hartford, was also among the dead. His wife, Janet, said she got a knock on the door at 3 a.m. telling her he had died. "It's no feeling right now," she said.

The search for survivors was called off after seven days

The Seacor Power lift boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico on April 12, 2021, around eight miles off the coast of Louisiana. The boat was travelling to a Talos Energy Inc. oil platform when it was hit by a storm with winds of 80 to 90 mph and waves up to nine feet high.

The Coast Guard led the search and rescue operation, which covered 9,000 square miles of waters off Louisiana. The search lasted seven days, and involved boats, helicopters, and two Coast Guard cutters. Two bodies were found inside the ship by divers, and four others were recovered from the sea. The victims were identified as Anthony Hartford, James Wallingsford, Ernest Williams, Lawrence J. Warren, and the ship's captain, David Ledet.

Despite the efforts of the Coast Guard and other responders, eight people remained missing when the search was called off. The boat's owner, Seacor Marine, pledged to continue the search for the missing crew members, with 17 divers on site. The investigation into the cause of the capsizing was expected to take up to two years.

The boat was travelling from Port Fourchon to a Talos Energy oil platform

The Seacor Power lift boat was travelling from Port Fourchon to a Talos Energy oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico when it capsized during a storm on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. The boat was around seven to eight miles off the coast of Louisiana when it was overtaken by a storm with winds of 80 to 90 mph and waves 7 to 9 feet high.

Port Fourchon, a major base for the U.S. oil and gas industry, is located in southeastern Louisiana. It is a sprawling complex that serves as a hub for the vast array of boats, helicopters, and other equipment used to support the industry in the Gulf of Mexico. From Port Fourchon, workers travel to oil rigs and other jobs, often for weekslong shifts.

The Seacor Power lift boat is owned by Seacor Marine and was on its way to the Talos Energy platform at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Talos Energy stated that the decision to send the boat out on Tuesday was made by Seacor Marine and that the vessel was "fully under the command" of its captain and Seacor Marine.

The boat capsized with 19 people on board. Six people were rescued alive on the first day, while four bodies were recovered in the days following the incident. The search for the remaining nine missing crew members continued for six days, covering an area of 9,000 square miles, before it was called off.

The Seacor Power is a lift boat used in the offshore oil industry. These vessels have three legs that can be lowered to the seafloor to raise the ship off the water and serve as a temporary platform. When travelling, the legs remain fully retracted and stick straight up in the air, making the vessel more vulnerable to capsizing.

The boat's captain, David Ledet, was among the dead. John Gellert, president of Seacor Marine, stated that the captain was "one of our best captains" and emphasised that the decision to go out was entirely up to him. However, he also mentioned that the weather conditions encountered by the boat were significantly worse than expected and beyond what was forecasted.

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