US Coast Guard, Good Samaritans continue search for 12 missing crew of capsized liftboat off Port Fourchon, Louisiana

The US Coast Guard and multiple Good Samaritan vessels rescued six people and found one unresponsive individual from a commercial vessel that had capsized 12 kilometres south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on Tuesday, April 13.

There is also an ongoing effort to locate 12 other personnel who were on Seacor Power, a liftboat owned by Houston-based Seacor Marine, when it capsized in stormy weather conditions on the afternoon (local time) of Tuesday.

Coast guard watchstanders received an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) notification at 16:30 from the distressed liftboat. The watchstanders then issued an urgent marine information broadcast, to which multiple Good Samaritan boatcrews responded.

The crew of the pre-commissioned coast guard cutter Glen Harris, a Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC), arrived on scene within 30 minutes and rescued one person from the capsized vessel.

A response boat-medium boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Grand Isle rescued another person and Good Samaritan vessels on scene rescued four other people from the water.

The coast guard patrol boat Amberjack and coast guard aviation assets are also assisting in the search and rescue (SAR) operation.

Editor’s Note: This news story was updated at 05:22 UTC on Thursday, April 15, after the US Coast Guard confirmed that one unresponsive individual has been recovered from the same area and that 12 other personnel are unaccounted for.