The vessel was built in 2002 and acquired by its operator, Seacor Marine LLC, in 2012. The boat was contracted by Talos Energy for well work on one of its platforms, John Gellert, president and chief executive of Seacor Marine, the owner of the Seacor Power, said last month.
The boat set off from Port Fourchon at about 1:30 p.m. on April 13, according to the N.T.S.B report. It was headed to an oil and gas lease area in the Gulf of Mexico, east of the Mississippi Delta — a trip that was supposed to take 18 hours.
A weather report emailed to the crew on the vessel that morning predicted afternoon winds at 9-12 knots, which is about 10 to 13 m.p.h. About 3:30 p.m., a sudden rainstorm came over the vessel. Visibility decreased and winds increased significantly, so the crew decided to lower the vessel’s legs to the seafloor to hold it in place until the storm passed, according to the report.
When the vessel’s legs started to descend, a crew member at the helm tried to turn the boat into the winds, according to the report. But before the turn was complete, the boat heeled to starboard and capsized. Several people escaped onto the exposed port side of the vessel’s deckhouse. Some crew members who had been clinging to the vessel were washed into the water.
Other boats in the area, along with a civilian helicopter, responded to help in the rescue. The Coast Guard also used a pre-commissioning cutter, other response boats and a fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.