Shrimper Falls Overboard And Dies In The Gulf of Mexico

58 year old deckhand shrimper, Robert T. Parker, fell overboard his 26-foot long commercial fishing vessel Friday morning, just three miles west of Hernando Beach in the Gulf of Mexico.

The weather was in poor condition to be shrimping. The winds were high and the waves were fierce when Parker lost his balance and went over the port side where he was on the bow, the most dangerous place on the vessel in these types of weather conditions.

Norman Soucy is the vessel’s owner and operator and was the only other person on board. Soucy tried to rescue Parker by using the vessel’s hydraulics to remove him from the water and sending a distress signal to the Coast Guard.  Parker was immediately unresponsive and was brought to the Hernando Beach Boat Ramp where paramedics transported him to Oak Hill Hospital, later being pronounced dead.

Kathryn Birren, who also co-owns a vessel and seafood company in Hernando Beach, says that due to the dangerous conditions, it was not a good place for a small vessel to be. Birren, having had experience on shrimp boats, also commented that when someone falls over, it’s hard to see at night and it can take a while for someone to find you.

An employee at the marina where the boat was docked had no idea about the accident until she was contacted by a reporter who was questioning her about the incident. The employee had no comment.

The accident remains under investigation.

Weather conditions are an extremely dangerous factor in the safety of the crew. If you have been a victim of an injury or a death of a loved one who has been affected by a negligent judgment regarding safety, contact the attorneys at V&B for free information on how we may help.