WWLTV.com reports four passengers of a sports fishing boat that overturned three miles off of South Pass in the Gulf of Mexico are dead and one has been rescued, according to the New Orleans Coast Guard.
The accident was reported around 1 p.m. on February 12, 2011. A spokesperson said an offshore vessel, the Sea Angel, was able to rescue one passenger, identified as Heath Dowsey, who was found without a life jacket clinging to the hull of an overturned sports fishing vessel. The dead were identified as: Kerri Burns, Randy Dowsey, Wayne Dowsey and Kenny Mac.
Lt. Brian Sattler, command duty officer at Sector New Orleans stated “It’s an unfortunate truth that people who do not wear life jackets increase their risk of tragedy should an incident occur while on the water. The Coast Guard urges mariners to wear life jackets at all times as accidents can occur very quickly, and they may not have an opportunity to put one on during an emergency.”
The cause of the incident is under investigation by Louisiana Department of Fish and Wildlife.
