Seacor Power was lost when USCG weatherfax system was down
Tragic loss of life in the Gulf of Mexico occurred when US Coast Guard (USCG) weather warning system was offline.
A USCG hearing into the tragic sinking of the liftboat, Seacor Power, off the coast of Louisiana, has found that a critical weather warning system was not functioning at the time of the accident.
The captain and crew of the vessel were not aware that the system was offline and put to sea expecting to receive weather updates and alerts if conditions deteriorated.
The vessel departed Port Fourchon on April 13th at midday, bound for the Talos Energy Platform. Weather updates the captain received that morning indicated winds of 10 to 15 miles per hour, with two to four-foot seas.
Testimony from the National Weather Service reported that weather reports were updated several times during the course of the day and forecast the approach of a low-pressure system, warning of winds in excess of 39mph.
The Seacor Power was ultimately hit by winds of up to 80 mph, resulting in her capsize and the loss of 13 lives. Survivors said they noticed a problem with the weatherfax, but that one person on the bridge thought it may have just run out of paper.
