Divers Prepare for Rescue/Recovery Mission off of Louisiana Coast

Divers are headed to the Seacor Power, a work vessel that capsized off of the Louisiana coast Tuesday, to assess the situation and provide rescue/recovery efforts.

According to the Advocate, a 40-foot vessel, contracted by the United States Coast Guard, was headed to the distressed liftboat this morning with 3 divers on board.

The Seacor Power, a 129-foot commercial work boat, capsized about 8 miles off the coast of Louisiana on Tuesday, with 19 crew members on board. As of this hour, 6 crew members have been rescued, 1 crew member's body was recovered, and 12 crew members are still unaccounted for. The deceased crew member has been identified as David Ledet.

According to the story, an attempt for the divers to reach the vessel was to be made early this morning, but the mission was postponed due to inclement weather conditions. Another rescue/recovery attempt is scheduled to be underway at this time, as conditions have improved.

The U.S. Coast Guard is providing a ship large enough to help block some of the wind/waves for the 40-foot boat contracted for the rescue/recovery mission. The smaller boat will be positioned between the ship provided by the Coast Guard and the Seacor Power. The Advocate reports that the divers are prepared to be at the site through Thursday afternoon, conditions permitting.

Families of the 12 missing crew members, 4 from Acadiana, are holding on to hope that their loved ones will be found safe. Let's hope with them.