Jan Wesner Childs
Weather could continue to challenge searchers looking for survivors from a boat that capsized in rough conditions off the coast of southern Louisiana.
“We do expect some challenges with the weather but we are going to search as long as we can reasonably and safely search," U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Will Watson, commander of USCG Sector New Orleans, told The Weather Channel.
Thunderstorms and seas of 3 to 5 feet were forecast overnight and into Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
One crew member was found dead in the Gulf of Mexico Wednesday and a dozen others remained missing. Watson said the search was still considered a rescue mission with hopes of finding survivors. Multiple Coast Guard boats and aircraft had scoured more than 1,400 square miles of water, and several state, local and civilian assets were also assisting.
(MORE: Severe Storms, Flooding Possible Along Gulf Coast)
The 129-foot boat named Seacor Power began taking on water and tipped over Tuesday afternoon.
“At the time of the incident, on-scene weather conditions were challenging - 89 mile per hour winds, 7 to 9 foot seas, and extremely limited visibility," Watson said during a news briefing earlier on Wednesday.
"We don't know the degree to which that contributed to what happened but we do know those are challenging conditions to be at in a maritime environment."
Previous reports said 18 crew members were on board. Watson said the number was 19. Six were safely pulled from the water on Tuesday.
The boat capsized amid severe weather that included a "wake low" and brought high winds and heavy rain to parts of the Louisiana coast. Buildings were damaged and shrimp boats knocked over. Thousands of power outages were also reported.
Watson said the Seacor Power left Port Fourchon at about 1:30 p.m. CDT. It was headed about 28 miles east to an area called Main Pass.
Watson told reporters it wasn't known why the ship left port at that particular point in time or if weather was a concern for the crew.
"All of those things remain under investigation," Watson said. "We're trying to figure this out as we go."
Watson said waves were 8 to 10 feet with 20 to 30 mph winds as searchers worked Wednesday morning.
“I won’t tell you that those conditions can't be challenging, but we are out there, we are committed to the search and rescue effort," Watson said.
"We're giving it all we have."
Watson noted that as of Wednesday morning, the Seacor Power remained in the same location where it capsized, on its side in about 55 feet of water.
“We know right now that the vessel is not drifting," Watson said. "We presume that the vessel is aground but we are monitoring that actively. Conditions could change.”
It wasn't known if any of the missing crew members were inside the hull of the ship. The body that was found was floating on the surface, according to Watson.
Families of the crew members gathered in Port Fourchon as news of the incident emerged.
"Continue to pray for the families of the men who were on that vessel that we can bring everyone home safely," Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson III told The Weather Channel.
The Coast Guard received a distress message from another boat in the area at about 4:30 p.m. CDT Tuesday reporting the Seacor Power had capsized, according to Watson. The Coast Guard and several civilian vessels responded to the scene about 8 miles south of Port Fourchon.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Glenn Harris arrived on-scene within 30 minutes and rescued one person. A second Coast Guard boat rescued another person and good Samaritans pulled four others from the water.
The Seacor Power is a commercial lift vessel with three powerful legs, each 250 feet tall, that can turn it into an offshore platform used for construction and other heavy duty work. What appeared to be one of its massive legs was visible above the surface of the water.
Port Fourchon is Louisiana's southernmost seaport and is a major base for the U.S. oil and gas industry.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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