Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Offshore Boat Capsized in Gulf of Mexico

A large lift boat capsized in high seas today south of Fourchon/Grand Isle area.

Seven of seventeen crew members have been rescued. I saw a video and the seas are pretty bad. Coast Guard and other vessels are on site.

Not a good situation.

May the LORD be with them.

One of my roommates was on a Jack-up rig that went over in the gulf in 1989.Only he and the boats First Mate survived.They were in the water 2 days and nights.He never dove offshore again.

Notoriously unstable.

that's awful.

75 mph winds. They've had to call off the search for now before it capsizes a rescue boat.

That's pretty sad, just some people trying to make a living in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My brother went over off a platform fire once. An older man and the man's son went over with him and the older man didnt survive the fall.

I cant remember if it was 8 or 14 hours before they were rescued. He said he would never do that again. He said it was a pretty sad deal floating with the dead man and his surviving son all that time.

He operated several different platforms for Pennziol under Hugh Lidtke iirc and some other companies.

Once he and 2 volunteers stayed on a 3 legged platform through a hurricane as a well was coming in when the last evacuations were varried out and he couldnt get it shut in.

For hours they were praying as it swayed to and frow with wather sloshing out of the toilets. Then the eye hit and it was pure calm and woth a beautiful sky above them before the next side hit and they were back to praying for 6-8 hours again.

He said they all knew at times they would go over any minute.

Later, divers found 2 legs cracked nearly through and early fractures in the other leg.

There are lots of jobs more dangerous than law enforcement or soldiering. This is one of them.

Working offshore has its moments.

That's horrible, I heard four shrimp boats also sunk in Grand Isle. They've had 17" of rain in the last week, it's a real mess out there.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/brMVrm7X2uUpHW2V6
I had to tap the picture for the video to play, hopefully the link works. This was our last kingfish trip about 35 miles SE of where the jackup went down. The blacktips and spinner sharks were terrible. I'd have a heart attack if I went into the gulf. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Hope things turn out good - dangerous stuff out there .
Oftentimes companies put money above safety , a lot better these days than it was back in the 80's when I worked out there .

I was in a helicopter crash [PHI] petroleum helicopter inc. Dec. 28th 1985 in the roughest weather I'd ever seen in the Gulf . 15' seas . Whiplash/broke nose/loose teeth hit my face on my knee - really hard .

You are a very lucky Man.

Lift boat?
Is that like a spuding barge?
From what is shown in the photo it looks like a spud and a foot below the hull.

Thank God for the coasties!

Hope they find the other ten.

I must have a death wish. Lol

Lift Boat sometimes called a spud barge typically with 3 spuds, shallow water type vessel, self motorized

In 1988- 89 i was fresh out of diving school and too young and stupid to even realize just how dangerous what we were doing was.For a year i thought my real name was,"GODDAMM THAT F... ING KID!!!".

Looks like a micro-blast got-’em.

They can be horrific and leave you with no time to prepare or batten things down.

Coast Guard Interview conference on the local 5pm news.

Thx
Can't imagine taking one of those out of near-shore coastal waters..

Unstable is right.

Is that the storm system crossing Mississippi/Alabama now?

I am miles south of there right now. We fly over that area when we crew change. Lift boats are dangerous. Have a guy on my crew that worked wireline off one for several years. He said when they jacked up on location. His captain made them wear lifejackets and sit on top of the wheelhouse in case they one leg punched through.

Same storm system.

The Captains/Barge Masters are very skillful at what they do. Some things happen way beyond their control like this micro-blast that caught them before he could drop his legs down enough to lower the center of gravity.

This blast caught the Coast Guard off their watch also as it happened too fast to get the warnings out on channel 16 in time for responses.

Very sad for the lost and their families.

Went down right by the rig I worked on , they had laid the crane boom down for copter landing , several coworkers saw it happen . There was a field boat in the area - got to us in 35-40ish minutes .I dragged life raft out pulled the pin [co2 tank] it inflated real nice like then deflated about as fast , stop valve malfunction . Pondered how I got sand in my mouth way out there - it many small chips of my teeth .

Lost at sea would be a horrible way to go

Ptl for your rescue and survival.

If I were in their position, I'd want us praying.
Anyone who wants to, please join me in prayer for those needing rescue.


Dear Father,

There may be more men unaccounted for and treading water at this time. Please protect them through the night and keep them alive until the Coast Guard and rescue boats find them. May you show mercy with weather. Please direct mens eyes thereon to those in the sea. Help them to find and be Your hands of rescue. They need safety as well Lord.
Please send believers to them upon the shore wherever they may live, to bring Your good news that they would never die.....if they put their confidence in that of your only begotten Son.
In Whose Name we pray,

Amen

The Coast Guard ended its search and rescue today at sunset and will shift their focus. I am guessing they will be involved in recovery efforts.

19 crew members were on board the commercial boat when it capsized during severe weather on Tuesday. Six have been rescued, five have been confirmed dead, and eight remain missing as of Sunday, April 18.

One of the survivors was in the wheelhouse when it went over. The captain is one of the confirmed deaths. The captain was 63 years old and worked on the water his entire life.

Divers have been searching the vessel. I have not read how much of the vessel has been cleared.

The families are holding out hope but it is not looking good.

That sucks. Hope they are all found in time.

Very sad.