129-foot merchant boat capsizes in rough waters off Louisiana
A 129-foot commercial boat capsized in rough waters off Louisiana. Six people were rescued, one person was found dead and 12 are still missing.
USA TODAY, Storyful
Families and friends clung to hope Thursday as divers prepared to hunt for 12 people missing from a merchant boat that capsized in roaring winds and heavy seas off Louisiana two days ago.
Boats and planes have been combing part of the Gulf of Mexico as large as Rhode Island since the boat rolled Tuesday afternoon and swerved south of Port Fourchon, a base for the U.S. oil and gas industry.
“There are a lot of dynamic aspects to look at with the potential of people trapped inside,” Jonathan Lally, 2nd class, Coast Guard, non-commissioned officer, said Thursday. “We do not have much information about where they are.”
The Coast Guard said that, weather permitting, divers would inspect the 129-foot Seacor Power lift boat. Winds blew to 90 km / h, and waves reached 9 feet when the lift – also known as a builder for the retractable legs used to lift the deck above the water – was overwhelmed by water.
Six people were rescued Tuesday; one body was found Wednesday. Some family members hoped that their loved ones would be found trapped in airbags.
Marion Cuyler, the fiancée of crane operator Chaz Morales, said she spoke to him shortly before the tragedy.
“He said they were cutting down and that they were about to be on their way, and I want the weather to be too bad. You have to come home,” she said. “And he’s like, I wish I could.”
Pray for the lost: Body found, 12 missing after boat capsized in stormy sea
The family of Gregory Walcott, 62, told KATC-TV that he was on the boat. The family heard nothing of his fate. Walcott has been working on the rig for two decades, his niece said.
“We have no words. It’s just … it’s like a bomb that exploded without any notice,” his cousin, Crystle Randle, told the TV station. “We are all just in a state of shock right now. We just remain in good faith that he will be found alive. ‘
Family members of Dylan Daspit told KATC that he was also on the boat.
“Everyone is praying for a miracle,” said his wife, Hannah Coleman Daspit. “He has to come home to his family. We can not live without him. ”
Capt. Will Watson, commander of the Coast Guard Sector New Orleans, was unwilling to give up hope that survivors would be found after more than 40 hours of investigation Wednesday. The large effort of more than 1,440 square kilometers included more than a dozen authorized search boats and ‘Good Samaritan’ boats, five aircraft and three helicopters.
“When it comes to search and rescue, every case is dynamic and no single case is the same as the next,” he said. “It is always our hope to bring the people back safely and them again with their friends and family. to reunite. “
The Coast Guard on Tuesday broadcast urgent marine information after being notified that the boat was in distress. Cutter Glenn Harris, a 154-foot lifeboat, arrived on the scene within 30 minutes and rescued one person from the capsized vessel, the agency said. Another Coast Guard boat rescued one man, and boaters in the area pulled four more to safety.
Seacor Marine, which owns the boat, has released a statement saying it is working with the Coast Guard and local authorities to locate ‘our valued team members and partners’.
“We would like to thank the US Coast Guard and boats of the Good Samaritan for their immediate response, as well as the brave individuals who further supported our search and rescue efforts,” the statement said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to all involved.”
Cuyler is moved.
“I mean, they should not have gone out,” she said. “There is no way. They should have waited at least 12 hours. ‘
Contributing Contributions: The Associated Press