Remembering Mississippi victims of the Deepwater Horizon

April 20 was the one year anniversary of the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon platform 50 miles off the Louisiana coast. Of the 11 workers killed in the blast, four were from Mississippi. Ironically, three of them shared birthdays on the day of the explosion. The following information is courtesy of the online memorial of the Deepwater Horizon victims.

Aaron Dale Burkeen, 37, of Philadelphia, MS.  Known to his friends as "Bubb," Dale was a crane operator aboard the platform. He is survived by his wife Rhonda, his daughter Aryn Sydney and son Timothy, 6. According to The Wall Street Journal, Dale, who operated the rig's tall starboard crane, had been trying to get out of harm's way when the blast hit. It blew him off a catwalk, other workers say, and he fell more than 50 feet to the deck, where he died.

Karl Dale Kleppinger Jr., 38, of Natchez, MS. Karl was 38 years old on the 20th of April, 2010.  He and his wife, Tracy, had a son, Aaron. It is believed that Karl died while working in the mud pit, where drilling materials are handled, or in a nearby shaker room.

Dewey Revette, 48, of State Line, MS. Dewey turned 48 the same day he perished in the explosion. He was a driller and is believed to have died while working on the rig floor.

Shane Roshto, 22, of Liberty, MS. Shane,, an employee of Transocean, was 22 years old on the 20th of April, 2010.  He was working on board the Deepwater Horizon oil rig as a floor hand.  The youngest of the eleven explosion victims, he left behind his wife Natalie, age 21 and son Blaine, age 3. It is believed that Shane was working in the mud pit, or nearby shaker room, when the rig exploded.  His body was not recovered.