SEACOR Marine Lift Boat Capsizes South of Port Fourchon, Louisiana – 12 Missing

by | Apr 14, 2021 | Maritime Law, Wrongful Death

The 129 foot lift boat SEACOR POWER capsized on April 13, 2021 south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana.  The boat was about 8 miles south of Port Fourchon at the time of the incident.  Reports indicate there were 19 people on board the ship.  Following a distress call, multiple coast guard vessels and samaritan ships headed to the area where the lift boat capsized to begin search and rescue operations.  At least 6 crew members have been rescued, with search efforts continuing.  It is unclear what caused the vessel to capsize, although there were some weather advisories in effect on Tuesday afternoon due to expected winds of 70 to 80 miles per hour.  Our thoughts and prayers out to those impacted by this tragedy.

The Seacor Power is a jack up, or lift boat, built in 2002.  The vessel is operated by SEACOR Marine.  The shipmanager is SEACOR Liftboats LLC, and the registered owner is Falcon Global Offshore II LLC.

There have been a number of recent incidents involving vessels.  A fire broke out on the fish processing vessel Aleutian Falcon on February 17, 2021.  There was a boating accident in Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana on March 6, 2021, resulting in one death and four passengers sustaining injuries.  A pilot fell while attempting to board the bulk carrier LORD NELSON on March 7, 2021. A pilot fell while attempting to disembark from the bulk carrier MARIA GS on March 14, 2021.  There was an incident involving the gantry crane on the container ship EVER GENTLE on March 27, 2021.  There was a collision between the bulk carrier HABCO PIONEER and a fishing vessel on April 3, 2021.  Four crew members inhaled ammonia gas on board the LPG tanker HAMBURG DW on April 6, 2021.  Two crew members sustained serious burn injuries on board the bulk carrier RAPALLO on April 7, 2021.  Two crew members were injured on the bulk carrier APL SOUTHAMPTON on April 8, 2021.  A fire broke out on board the container ship INTERASIA CATALYST beginning on April 5, 2021.  A recreational boat struck a barge and capsized on April 10, 2021 in Savannah, Georgia.

It can be dangerous to work in any profession when safety considerations related to dangerous weather conditions are not made, but it is especially so when working on a vessel. Safe employers must ensure that their ships do not put the lives of their crew members or passengers at risk.  The risks of catastrophic death as a result of sailing into dangerous weather conditions must always be considered by safe maritime and cargo companies.  When marine companies fail to account for dangerous weather conditions, catastrophic incidents can result.

Our experienced lawyers handle maritime personal injury and wrongful death litigation of all kinds and the skills needed to represent the families of loved ones who have lost their lives or those who have been seriously injured as a result of the negligence of another party. The lawyers of Spagnoletti Law Firm have handled maritime lawsuits throughout the country.  Our attorneys have extensive experience in maritime injury and death cases on vessels, and have previously sued SEACOR Marine following an offshore accident.

The experienced and aggressive vessel accident attorneys at Spagnoletti Law Firm can help you understand your rights if you or a loved one was a victim of this tragic accident. There are strict and short time limits on making claims related to vessel accidents, so please contact us online or call 713-804-9306 or 877-678-5864 to learn more about your rights.