Transocean Oil Rig Explosion Leaves 3 Men from Mississippi Missing

According to the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger, at least three Mississippians are among the 11 missing after Tuesday’s oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, and a fourth might have survived.

Dewey Revette, 48, of State Line; Aaron Dale Burkeen, 37, of the Sandtown community near Philadelphia; and Shane Roshto, 22, of Liberty, were not accounted for Thursday evening, more than two days after the rig exploded 41 miles off the Louisiana coast.

“All we can do is pray,” said Sheryl Revette, who is waiting at the couple’s home for news about her husband, Dewey.

Randy Ezell of Jayess is believed to have survived the tragedy.

During a Thursday afternoon news conference, Coast Guard and company officials said the rescue mission was ongoing but cautioned they would search for 12 more hours before assuming the missing are dead.

Sheryl Revette hasn’t given up hope.

“They’re still searching,” she said of her husband, who has worked on oil rigs for 29 years.

“You always worry, but you worry even in your own front yard,” she said.

She said she planned to go to Louisiana until she heard her husband was one of the missing crew members. “When we hear more news, we will head that way,” she said.

Sheryl Revette said she last talked to her husband Monday night. She said she missed his call Tuesday, and he was scheduled to come home Wednesday.

State Line, a town of 555, borders Alabama in Greene County.

Rhonda Burkeen said Thursday her family was getting hourly updates from authorities. She said her husband, the father of two children, was a crane operator on the rig.

While the search continued Thursday, the football field-sized structure collapsed and sank into the Gulf, creating environmental concerns.

There were 126 crew members aboard the rig. It’s confirmed that 115 survived, but 17 of those are injured including four who were listed in critical condition.

“The cause of the fire and explosion is unknown at this time. An investigation into the cause of the incident and assessment of the damage will be ongoing in the days or weeks to come,” Transocean spokesman Guy Cantwell told The Clarion-Ledger in a statement Thursday.

Of the missing crew, nine are Transocean employees and two are contract employees, according to company officials.

Cantwell said Thursday that he did not have the breakdown on the number of Mississippians among the missing. There could be others.  Our law firm sends it heartfelt prayers and best wishes out to the families, friends and co-workers of the missing.

According to published reports, a lawsuit was filed Thursday in New Orleans on behalf of Shane Roshto, accusing BP and Transocean of negligence. The lawsuit says Roshto is feared dead.  For more information from Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers  and our Transocean Rig Explosion Attorneys please contact us via e-mail at info@smslegal.com.