SEACOR Power crewmembers memorialized one year after tragedy

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) - One year since the Seacor Power liftboat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico, the 13 crewmembers killed or presumed killed were honored with the unveiling of a memorial statue.

The names of those lost at sea will be forever remembered at the Lady of the Gulf memorial in Port Fourchon.

It was an emotional morning as loved ones gathered one year since the tragedy. Families of the victims were in attendance with legal representation. Several lawsuits against the company remain open and active.

“Today’s kind of bittersweet,” said Ernest Williams, Jr.’s daughter, Valencia Jasman. “A whole year already has passed and I could still hear his voice sometimes. It’s unbelieveable. It’s hard.”

“With Mr. Walcott, his body was never found,” said Chuck Bourque, the Walcott family’s attorney. “They never had a funeral. They never were able to go through the grieving process. So now we have a place that will memorialize him. His name is written on the plaque.”

CONTINUING COVERAGE

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Some of the victims were never recovered and the living quarters of the liftboat will never see the light of day again, forever buried in the Gulf.

Salvage crews had the Seacor Power cut into three pieces, the bow, the stern, and accommodations. Two pieces were lifted from the Gulf, but a third section, the living quarters, was buried in sediment and mud after Hurricane Ida. Seacor Marine later suspended salvage operations after the storm devastated the Louisiana coast.

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