WGNO

Boat Captain identified as body pulled from water. Search continues for 12 missing from capsized boat near Grand Isle.

Captain David Ledet, photo courtesy Isaias Alamilla

PORT FOURCHON — It’s been nearly 48 hours since the Seacor Power vessel capsized in the Gulf of Mexico.

On Thursday morning, the family members of the missing crew were called in for a private meeting with Seacor.


In this meeting, the identity of the deceased victim was released. According to the Coast Guard, the body pulled from the water was that of David Ledet, Captain of the Seacor Power.

Of the 19 crew members on board, 12 remain unaccounted for, six men have been rescued alive, one body was pulled from the water, and pronounced deceased on the scene.

A dive team was scheduled to hit the water at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, however, the weather has been quite severe, and there is no word on whether the team entered the water.

Distress signals went out from the 129-foot commercial lift boat, around 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, during a severe thunderstorm.

A National Weather Service station located three miles northeast of Grand Isle recorded a wind gust of 75 mph during the height of the storm.

Credit: USCG

Coast Guard Captain Will Watson says all six of the rescued were found in the water “within the vicinity” of the vessel.

When asked if they were found inside the vessel, Capt. Watson said they were not, because the Coast Guard has not yet made entry inside the vessel. The remaining 12 crew members may be inside of the vessel.

Gregory Walcott is one of the unaccounted-for crew members. His Niece, Crystel Randle, said the following of the situation, “[I] don’t have any words, it’s just like a bomb exploded without any notice. We’re all just in shock right now, but still trying to hold our heads up, just stand on faith you know, we just still try to live in faith that he will be found alive.”