The Coast Guard is still looking for 12 people missing after a ship capsized off the coast of Port Fourchon in stormy conditions Tuesday night.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Carlos Galarza said they had received many calls from the media Thursday after rumors swirled that one of the six survivors said people were trapped inside alive. Galarza could not confirm the rumor but said the mission remained a search and rescue, rather than a recovery mission.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by stormy conditions, which have made diving to look for any survivors trapped inside challenging. Galarza said divers had been deployed Thursday but couldn’t confirm whether they were able to dive, given the rain and wind.
Coast Guard crews have searched approximately 6,380 square miles of the Gulf for survivors over the past two days. They continue to search using boats, helicopters and airplanes.
In a press release, the Coast Guard said that while search efforts for the crew are continuing, the incident has been declared a major marine casualty.
Six people have been rescued and one person has died.
What caused the 175-foot vessel, called Seacor Power, to capsize and the extent to which bad weather was responsible remains under investigation. The Guard is leading a preliminary investigation with the National Transportation Safety Board.
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