Crewboat Rescues Four from Helicopter Crash in Gulf of Mexico, One Killed

Inflatables keep a helicopter afloat following a crash in the Gulf of Mexico, Oct. 9, 2013. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

The crew of an fast supply vessel in the Gulf of Mexico assisted Wednesday in the rescue of four people after the helicopter they were in crashed into the water about 30 miles northeast of Venice, Louisiana, killing the pilot.

The U.S. Coast Guard reports that Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a call at 7:24 a.m. from the Mr. Ridge, a 150-ft. fast supply vessel owned by Iberia Marine Services, that a helicopter crashed near Main Pass Block 108. The Mr. Ridge was able to retrieve all four people from the crash and transfer them them to a nearby oil rig, the Coast Guard said.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew brought one person aboard with reported back injuries and transported him to LSU Medical Center. Meanwhile, Acadian Air transported three people to LSU Medical Center.

The Coast Guard report said that the condition of the four people was unknown, however, reports say that one person, the contracted pilot, has died while two suffered severe back injuries and one was unharmed.

The three passengers onboard were all employees of Wood Group, an international energy services company headquartered in Scotland.

The cause of the incident is under investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Based out of New Iberia, Louisiana, Iberia Marine Service operates a fleet of 11 crewboats that service the oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico.

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