Tributes are pouring in for a Louisiana man who died after an oilfield boat capsized Tuesday within the Gulf of Mexico.
The Lafourche Parish Coroner’s Workplace recognized the person Thursday as 63-year-old David Ledet of Thibodaux, Louisiana. He was the captain of the Seacor Energy, a liftboat that overturned Tuesday in hurricane-force winds about 8 miles south of Port Fourchon.
Six individuals had been rescued Tuesday, and as of Friday, 4 had been confirmed lifeless and 9 had been nonetheless lacking.
Seacor Energy:Thibodaux man killed. Listed here are the names of others aboard the boat when it capsized
Joshua Segura of Lafayette, Louisiana, stated he’s recognized Ledet since he started working with him within the oilfield in 2006.
“David was an superior man,” Segura stated. “He had been round boats all his life and used to inform tales about shrimping and the previous days of the oilfield. I’d have trusted him with my life, and he was one of the vital revered captains in the entire firm. He had a ardour for his household, his job and basic vehicles.”
Segura stated the final time he noticed Ledet was on the very vessel that overturned Tuesday.
“Final time I labored with him was on the Energy in February 2019, however we’d cease by his boat and say hey once we had been passing by in the event that they had been on the dock,” he stated.
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Segura stated Ledet was a talented and skilled mariner who knew the ocean just like the again of his hand. Nevertheless, the storm that slammed into south Louisiana on Tuesday was one thing not even he might put together for.
“These weren’t regular circumstances,” Segura stated. “Our climate forecast stated we had been speculated to get 3- to 5-feet seas and 15- to 20-knot winds. Dave was at all times one to close issues down if one thing was not protected. He wasn’t afraid to say no. What hit everybody was a storm together with a uncommon climate phenomenon known as ‘wake low.’ This made issues considerably worse than something anybody predicted. Nobody knew it was coming.”
Seacor Energy:‘We’d like him to come back house:’ 1 lifeless, 12 lacking after oilfield boat capsizes off Fourchon
Phil Grigsby, a meteorologist with the Nationwide Climate Service in Slidell, stated the winds obtained as much as 75 mph because the storm swept by means of Grand Isle.
Segura stated there’ll by no means be one other captain fairly like Ledet.
“Dave was the person,” he stated. “He at all times appeared out for his crew.”
Divers continued their seek for the lacking mariners Friday morning. Searchers knocked on the hull of the capsized vessel Thursday with out listening to a response, the Coast Guard stated.
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