The Coast Guard is suspending the search for the eight crewmembers from the Seacor Power lift boat that capsized off the coast of Lafourche Parish. Captain Will Watson says suspending a search is one of the toughest decisions they have to make and he describes the meeting they had with the families of the victims.
“There’s a lot of hugging and a lot of crying and a lot of sadness and grief, but there’s also a lot of hope and a lot of faith still,” said Watson.
Seacor Marine President John Gellert says 17 divers will continue to search the capsized lift boat as they remain committed to recovering all of the missing. He says the divers have been through half of the vessel.
The NTSB will conduct an investigation into the tragic incident, which will look at the weather conditions at the time. Gellert says it was the captain’s decision for the vessel to operate that day.
“The weather they were forecasted to encounter was well within the limits of the vessel and the weather they ultimately encountered was well beyond the forecast as far as we know,” said Gellert.
The Seacore Power capsized on Tuesday afternoon after it encountered hurricane-force winds unexpectedly.
The captain of the Seacor Power has been identified as 63-year-old David Ledet of Thibodaux. Gellert says the captain had decades of experience on lift boats.
“He was one of our best captains, very prudent and conservative, so we are very confident that he would not have gone out if he had any doubt whatsoever,” said Gellert.
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