Coast Guard fears 12 missing crew from capsized Seacor Power off Louisiana are inside vessel as families pray for return
THE Coast Guard fears that the 12 missing crew members from the capsized Seacor Power off Louisiana may be stuck inside the vessel.
On Wednesday, the Coast Guard confirmed that one person had died and six had been rescued, but 12 others were missing two days after the boat capsized off the state's coast.
The ship is partially submerged and grounded 55 feet deep.
The Coast Guard left open the possibility that the missing members could still – possibly – be inside of the ship awaiting rescue.
Marion Cuyler, who is engaged to missing crew member Chaz Morales, was praying for a rescue Thursday.
"I have a really good feeling today," she told NOLA.com, adding that one of the rescued members told her the other members were still on board.
"The guy who got rescued said they are in there — all 12 should be in there in rooms waiting to be rescued," she said.
Including Morales, four other crew members who were on the boat have been identified by family members and loved ones, according to The Advocate.
The include Jay Guevara, of Lafayette; Gregory Walcott, 62, of Abbeville; Dylan Daspit, of Breaux Bridge; and Quinon Pitre, 31, of the Lawtell area.
After the commercial lift boat capsized, Coast Guard rescue groups searched thousands of miles for the missing people and reportedly told family members that there are no signs of people in the water.
"Coast Guard rescue crews have searched more than 1,440 square miles, which is an area larger than the state of Rhode Island, during a combined search period of nearly 40-hours," the agency said in a press release on Wednesday.
"Our rescue crews have been diligently continuing the search and rescue efforts for the missing people from the capsized vessel," said Captain Will Watson, commander of Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.
"When it comes to search and rescue, each case is dynamic and no single case is the same as the next," he continued.
"Anytime our Coast Guard crews head out for search and rescue, it is always our hope to safely bring those people back and reunite them with their friends and families."
Watson added he was unsure why the boat was on the water on Tuesday, saying it left Port Fourchon at about 1.30pm and was heading to Main Pass, about 28 miles east of the port.
When crews from his agency arrived, Watson said they faced seven- to nine-foot tall waves, and winds of 80 to 90mph.
Still, he holds high hope for finding the survivors.
"We’re giving it all we have," Watson said. "You can’t do this work if you’re not optimistic."
Joining the collaborative search efforts of the Coast Guard and local volunteers include airplanes and helicopter crews surveilling for people up above the rocky waters.
The boat was carrying 19 people when it capsized during heavy storms.
Houston-based marine transportation company Seacor Marine identified the vessel as the Seacor Power.
Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Jonathan Lally said the agency received a flurry of reports of "multiple vessels hit" during a possible "microburst" storm.
The dangerous type of storm – a localized column of sinking air within a thunderstorm – may have hit the boat and caused it to sink, Lally said.
By Wednesday night, six people aboard the ship had been rescued – but a desperate search was ongoing for more.
The one known fatality was identified as David Ledet, 63. He was the captain of the vessel.
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