One person is dead and 12 people are still missing after a vessel operated by Seacor Marine capsized Tuesday afternoon south of Port Fourchon, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday morning.
At the time the vessel capsized, offshore winds were gusting 80 to 90 miles per hour, with 7 to 9-foot seas, Coast Guard Sector Caption Will Watson said at a press conference Wednesday.
What caused the 175-foot vessel, named Seacor Power, to capsize and the extent to which bad weather was responsible remains under investigation.
“That’s challenging under any circumstances,” Watson said. “So we don't know the degree to which that contributed to what happened, but we do know those are challenging conditions to be out in a marine environment.”
Watson said there were reports of challenging weather Tuesday, but “this level of weather was not necessarily anticipated.”
For now the Coast Guard, along with volunteer “good Samaritans,” are primarily focused on efforts to find and rescue the 12 missing people.
When asked whether it was a possibility that all or some of the 12 people might still be alive, trapped in an air pocket inside the vessel, Coast Guard Public Information Officer Shelley Turner said it was a “possibility.”
“We don't know for certain right now but that is something we’re looking into as the investigation unfolds. We’re trying to figure that information out,” she said.
In a statement, Houston-based Seacor Marine said it was “deeply saddened by the news of the vessel capsizing and are working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities to support all efforts to locate our valued team members and partners.”
The surf remains choppy as the rescue mission proceeds today. Thunderstorms are still rolling through the area, with 20 to 30 mph winds and 8-foot seas. Capt. Watson said that makes search and rescue more challenging but not impossible.
“My heart and the collective heart of our team goes out to the families and to Seacor,” Watson said. “But we’re giving it all we have.”
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