Family claims son lost at sea during BP oil spill cleanup

The family of a Louisiana man presumed lost at sea during the cleanup operations in the Gulf oil spill has filed suit against his employer.

Joseph Kennedy and Barbara Kennedy claim their son Brandon Sentell Mouton was working as a seaman on a barge operated by LaFayette Workboat Rentals, the defendant.  He was last seen by a worker on a galley boat tied up alongside the barge on July 22, 2010 off the Louisiana coast. The parents claim he fell off the deck into the water. His body has never been found.

LaFayette stands accused of negligence for not using proper lifesaving procedures to save the victim.

The parents filed suit in their own right and on behalf of their son's estate in New Orleans federal count on May 4. They seek compensation for loss of support, loss of love, nurture and affection, emotional pain and suffering, mental anguish, court costs and interest.

The defendant is accused of failure to provide proper crew training, lack of crew supervision, lack of proper safety equipment, and other charges.

Source: Louisiana Record