Six Oil Workers Rescued, Alive after Tropical Storm Nate

Six oil workers  were rescued after they were stranded for three days post Tropical Storm Nate in the Gulf of Mexico. The seventh worker, who had been rescued, died in the hospital. Out of the ten workers who were stranded in the Gulf of Mexico, two died and their bodies have been recovered. Search efforts for a missing crewmember are still on.

The 10 crewmembers were contracted by Texas-based Geokinetics. They were forced to abandon their vessel Sept. 8 when their lift boat began taking water just before Tropical Storm Nate hit.  The crew members evacuated the lift boat, got into an enclosed life raft.

At least one vessel which was several miles away saw the crew members getting into the raft, but the weather conditions were too poor for the ship crew to attempt a rescue. The raft was loaded with enough water and supplies for several days, as well as flares. However, there was no radio on board.

By the time rescue crews from Mexico’s state-owned oil company and the Mexican navy got to the scene, four crewmembers were in the boat, while three were in the water. One of the dead bodies was found in the water, and the other was still in the boat. The 10 crewmembers included four US citizens from the New Iberia area.

The six oil workers, who were rescued, are reported to be in a stable condition. Authorities have not yet identified the deceased, and have not specified a cause of death.

The maritime law attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers represent offshore oil rig workers injured in accidents, and families of workers killed in offshore accidents.