One Worker Still Missing After Oil Rig Explosion in Gulf

A body thought to be one of two workers missing after an explosion on an oil rig  off the coast of Louisiana was recovered late Saturday night, and the search for another missing worker was continuing. The two workers jumped off the platform into the Gulf of Mexico after the rig exploded Friday.

The U.S. Coast Guard had suspended its search for the missing workers, but Black Elk Energy, which owns the platform, vowed to continue searching. A private dive team hired by the Houston-based company found the body.

Eleven workers were injured in the blast, four with severe burns. All were air-lifted safety.

The explosion occurred after a contractor mistakenly used a blowtorch rather than a saw to cut a pipeline that contained 28 gallons of oil, igniting the blast. The rig wasn’t producing oil at the time of the explosion, and the Coast Guard said there was little risk of a major spill.

The oil sheen from the 28 gallons of oil that were in the pipeline cause an oil sheen over half a square mile as of Friday evening.

The offshore injury lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers represent offshore workers and families of offshore workers killed in accidents.