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Maritime Accident News

Australian offshore worker still missing after evacuating liftboat

Posted on Sep 15, 2011

Almost one week after a group of workers fled their disabled oil rig in a tropical storm, Mexican marines are still searching for a missing Australian man.

Aaron Howling lost his grip on the exterior handle of the small life raft within a few hours after the workers used it to evacuate the Trinity II liftboat during the afternoon of Sept. 8.

Some of the 10 men had to hang from the outside of the life raft in the towering seas and powerful winds of Tropical Storm Nate because it was too small to accommodate the entire group.

They were forced into the small craft after an inflatable life boat equipped with supplies and a tracking device was blown from the deck.

For three days, the group clinged to life in the Gulf of Campeche until seven of them were rescued by a ship.

The bodies of two dead Americans were recovered. They were Nicholas Reed, 31 and Craig Myers, 32. Both were from New Iberia, La. Reed was the son of company owner Randy Reed. A Bangladesh man who was rescued alive later died of exposure in a hospital.

Among the survivors were two Americans from the New Iberia area and four Mexicans. They remain in a Mexican hospital sunburned and dehydrated.

The 29 meter liftboat was owned by Trinity Liftboat Services of New Iberia, La. and leased by Geokinetics of Houston.

The workers evacuated after one of the three stabilizing legs broke about eight miles off the Mexican coast. They were blown 222 miles away by the wind and seas.

Source: AFP, AP

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