Coast Guard officials said that at least six people were rescued after a large commercial boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico, 8 miles south of Port Fourchon, on Tuesday.
Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson III confirmed that 18 people were on board before the 129-foot lift boat, named the Seacor Power, took on water at about 4:30 p.m. Much of metro New Orleans had just been hit by an unexpectedly strong storm that overturned vessels and damaged property, particularly in coastal towns.
Along with local Coast Guard officials and good Samaritans helping with the rescue mission, a search plane out of Texas was also en route to the scene.
Bruce J. Simon, who appeared to be on a vessel at the time the large boat capsized, shared photos and video to his Facebook and said he had "NEVER heard so many MAYDAY calls in my life!" His post was shared by nearly 6,000 people.
Jefferson Parish Councilman Ricky Templet, whose district includes nearby Grand Isle, said multiple vessels were overturned or ruined on the island, and that some trailers and businesses were damaged. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that wind gusts had reached 75 mph in Grand Isle.
"We expected some winds and possible rains, but nothing as extensive as what took place on the coastal areas of Jefferson Parish," Templet said.
Messages left for the capsized vessel's owner, Seacor Marine, weren't immediately returned late Tuesday. According to specifications on the owner's website, the Seacor Power is an offshore construction jack-up that was built in 2002.
Source: NOLA.com
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