SEACOR Power Search Continuing Overnight

Update (6:19 p.m. CDT): Divers knocked on the hull of the SEACOR Power on Thursday without hearing a response. Dive operations have been secured for today to plan to resume Friday. The Coast Guard is continuing the search overnight with air and surface assets.

Sadly there’s not much new news in the search for 12 people still missing from the SEACOR Power.

A Coast Guard update on Thursday said the search is continuing in the Gulf of Mexico south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana.

Divers are on scene today to conduct an assessment and begin operations in support of the ongoing search and rescue effort.

“Coast Guard air and surface assets continued to search overnight, and the search will continue throughout the day. Coast Guard crews have searched for a combined 70 hours covering approximately 6,380 square miles, an area roughly the size of Hawaii,” according to the update from the U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Heartland.

Six people were rescued after the SEACOR Power lift boat capsized on Tuesday around 4:30 p.m. approximately 8 miles south of Port Fourchon during severe weather. One deceased victim was later recovered and 12 are still missing.

Since the accident, the National Weather Service in New Orleans has issued multiple “Special Marine Warnings” for the waters off Port Fourchon due to heavy weather.

So far 4 Coast Guard Cutters, 3 Coast Guard helicopter crews, multiple Coast Guard Response Boat crews, five Coast Guard airplane crews, state and local agencies, a commercial air medical service, and Good Samaritan vessels have been involved in the search.

There have been some developments on the investigation front. The incident has been declared a major marine casualty and the U.S. Coast Guard is leading a preliminary investigation with participation from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The NTSB said it has launched a “go team” to the scene assist in the investigative process.

“NTSB Go Team launched to assist in Coast Guard investigation of April 13, 2021, capsizing of liftboat Seacor Power, 6 nautical miles south of Port Fourchon, LA. Go Team arrived in New Orleans Thursday morning,” the NTSB wrote in a tweet Thursday afternoon.

SEACOR Power is operated by Houston-based SEACOR Marine Holdings Inc. (“SEACOR Marine”) (NYSE:SMHI), a leading provider of marine and support transportation services to offshore energy facilities.

“We’re 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,” SEACOR Marine said in a statement. “We would like to thank the U.S. Coast Guard and Good Samaritan vessels for their immediate response, as well as the brave individuals who have further supported our search and rescue efforts. Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone involved.”

Rescue assets involved in the search so far:

• the pre-commissioned Coast Guard Cutter Glen Harris crew
• Coast Guard Cutter Amberjack crew
• Coast Guard Cutter Moray crew
• Coast Guard Cutter Benjamin Dailey
• Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew
• Coast Guard Station Grand Isle 45-foot RB-M boatcrews
• Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crews 
• Two Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplanes crews
• Two Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater HC-130 Hercules airplane crews
• Two Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters
• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries crews
• Port Fourchon Harbor Patrol
• Port Fourchon Sherriff’s Department
• Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office
• One commercial air medical service crew v

The video below was taken April 14:

#UPDATE The @USCG continues its search efforts for 12 missing members from the capsized lift boat 8 miles south of #PortFourchon, #Louisiana.

Find out more on our #newsroom https://t.co/743PtbYMmI#Ready, #Relevant, #Responsive, #SearchAndRescue pic.twitter.com/z7kvGYOoZB

— USCG Heartland (@USCGHeartland) April 14, 2021