A 20-year-old seaman lost his life in a serious crane accident off the Galveston coast August 16, 2011. The tragedy occurred on an Energy Resource Technology production platform in the Gulf of Mexico southeast of Galveston, Texas. An early report has been filed with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE).
The report states that the crane collapsed while lifting a heavy piece of equipment from the platform to a boat. It seems that the boom hoist cable failed and caused the crane to collapse. Once that occurred, the crane began to fail, the crane harness hit the worker and he was killed.
The incident is currently under investigation by federal BOEMRE officials and the Coast Guard to determine the cause of the equipment failure. BOEMRE director Michael Bromwich said, “This incident provides the most dramatic possible reminder of what is at stake as we work with the industry to ensure the highest safety standards on offshore facilities and do everything possible to minimize the risk of such accidents.”
Cameron Wallace, spokesman for Helix Energy Solutions (the parent company of Energy Resource Technology) issued the following statement about the ongoing investigation: “The ultimate goal is to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
The attorneys at The Young Firm in New Orleans offer their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
