Search continues for liftboat crew missing in Gulf of Mexico

Liftboat Trinity II

UPDATE: Read HERE for Monday update on this incident.

Ten people are missing after a liftboat contracted by the seismic data services company, Geokinetics, became disabled and began to take on water in the Southern Gulf of Mexico yesterday as a result of high seas produced by Tropical Storm Nate.

The liftboat, the Trinity II, is owned by Trinity Liftboat Services based in New Iberia, LA and was supporting a project in the Bay of Campeche when the incident occurred. The ten people on board consisted of four crew members from Trinity, three Geokinetics employees and three independent contractors.

The company says the incident was first reported at approximately 12:25 p.m. CST, Thursday, when the liftboat captain communicated that the crew was abandoning the vessel and boarding a life raft. The company adds that the crew was later visually observed boarding the life raft.

Rescue efforts were initially hampered by the inclement weather, however, were stepped up Friday to include several boats working with Mexico’s Pemex, five helicopters and a plane.

UPDATE: Names of the crew have been released, as all families have been notified, and can be found HERE.