NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)– Continuing our coverage, Tuesday marks one week since the Seacor Power lift boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico.
Heartbreaking news comes from the Coast Guard, saying their search efforts will be called off.
As of sundown Monday night, the Coast Guard’s search is over but, speaking for the first time publicly, Seacor’s President, John Gellert says, the company will continue to privately contract divers for their own search efforts.
The U.S. Coast Guard is shifting gears now and will turn the investigation over to the National Transportation Safety Board. They’ll be focusing on the “hows and whys.” The core of the N.T.S.B.’s investigation will center around three main things. The first, on the people involved. The second on the vessel’s condition and its equipment. The third will focus on the storm elements on the day the vessel and crew went down.
Seacor officials are saying, they did everything they could in this situation but, some of the family disagrees. Some feel Seacor could’ve done more.
“We have response plans for events like this and they’re vetted annually by contractors. Don Jon Smith was the named responder in our response plan and was immediately activated. Don Jon Smith had divers on scene within four hours of the incident and have continued to increase their presence as needed and as the weather has allowed. We feel we have done everything in our power and all of the resources available to continue the response,” said John Gellert, President, and CEO of Seacor Power.
Coast Guard Captain, Will Watson says, the investigation into the capsize could take between 1 to 2 years to complete. The N.T.S.B. is asking for eyewitnesses’ help in the investigation. If you were out that day, in the same storm, or previously worked on that same vessel, they are asking that you contact them.
Simply email eyewitness@NTSB.gov with any information you have that could help and your contact information.