NEW ORLEANS, La. (KLFY) — Three more lawsuits have been filed in federal court over the Seacor Power disaster, including suits from two survivors and the wife of one man still missing.
Survivors Bryan Mires of Breaux Bridge and James Gracien of Vestavia Hills, Ala., along with the wife of missing crewmember Dylan Daspit of New Iberia, all filed documents in Louisiana’s Eastern District in New Orleans earlier today.
All three suits were filed by Lewis, Kullman, Sterbcow & Abramson, LLC, of New Orleans on behalf of the clients. All three suits name Seacor Marine, Falcon Global Offshore and Talos Energy as defendants.
The Seacor Power capsized south of Port Fourchon on April 13 after severe weather hit the lift boat in the afternoon hours. The boat, owned by Seacor and Falcon, was headed to a platform owned by Talos.
All three suits maintain that the defendants failed to communicate weather warnings issued by the National Weather Service to the crew of the Seacor Power. Instead, the suit states that the defendants instead ordered the lift boat to leave port. At around 4:30 p.m., the lift boat took on water on the starboard side and capsized.
Six crewmembers were rescued (including Gracien and Mires), six more have been found dead, and seven remain missing (including Daspit).
James Gracien
In James Gracien’s suit, it states that he was employed by Seacor Marine as a Mate. The suit states that Gracien was slammed into an interior vessel wall while the ship flooded. He broke a window with a fire extinguisher and escaped his living quarters.
“He was washed into the Gulf of Mexico and drifted in rough and frigid waters for approximately three hours, during which time he became hypothermic, and his kidneys nearly shut down as his body systems fought to stay alive in the harrowing and life-threatening conditions,” states the suit.
Gracien was rescued by an unnamed passing vessel and taken to a hospital, where he remained for five days. The suit states Gracien suffered “…severe and permanently disabling injuries to his overall body, including but not limited to his internal organs, cervical and lumbar spines and connective nerves, muscles, and tissue, and psyche…” Gracien continues to “require medical care and treatment,” including surgery.
He seeks a jury trial.
Bryan Mires
Bryan Mires was employed by Seacor Marine as a Mate, according to the suit. In Mires’ suit, he states he escaped from the bridge of the vessel after it capsized and used a pocket knife to cut himself free from a rope tangled around his legs. He washed into the Gulf of Mexico and drifted for approximately two hours.
Mires was rescued by an unnamed passing vessel and continued to assist with the search and rescue until the following day. The suit states Mires “suffered severe and permanently disabling injuries to his overall body, including but not limited to his psyche…” He, too, seeks a jury trial.
Dylan Daspit
Dylan Daspit’s suit has been filed by his wife, Hannah, on the assumption that he has been declared dead by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Dylan Daspit was employed by Cardinal Services as a coiled tubing supervisor, according to the suit. It is believed that Daspit survived the capsizing but “ultimately perished while awaiting rescue, and although his body still has yet to be recovered, the U.S. Coast Guard as presumed … Daspit dead.”
The suit states Dylan and Hannah Daspit have two children.
Seacor’s suit
On June 2, Seacor Marine filed a countersuit against a number of other families involved in the disaster who have already filed suit. Seacor’s countersuit seeks to limit its liabilities and damages to $5.67 million to be shared by all families.