Coast Guard suspends search for 4 people, including Coast dad, after helicopter sinks in Gulf
Four people who went missing Thursday morning after a helicopter went down into the Gulf of Mexico are presumed dead after the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for them.
Crews spent eight hours searching 180 square miles of the Gulf near the site where the chopper went down after taking off from an oil platform about 10 miles off Southern Pass, Louisiana, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a press release. The call came in from Rotorcraft Leasing Company saying a company helicopter went down around 8:40 a.m.
Photos from the Coast Guard show debris from the helicopter in the water near the oil rig, and a recovery mission to find the bodies will likely begin soon.
One of the victims has been identified by family as 36-year-old David Scarborough of the Lizana community in Harrison County.
David’s wife, Lacy Scarborough, told the Sun Herald that David was leaving the oil rig to head home. They had planned on celebrating Christmas together when he returned, she said.
Lacy and David Scarborough were also preparing to welcome a baby boy in April. The new baby will likely be born a little more than a year after the couple lost their 2-year-old son, Sawyer, in a March drowning.
News of what happened shook the Mississippi Coast, with thousands offering support and prayers on social media. Lacy Scarborough changed her Facebook profile photo to a photo of David and Sawyer Thursday afternoon with the caption, “Love my guys.”
David Scarborough worked for Island Operating Company based in the Lafayette area and had just received a promotion, Lacy told the Sun Herald earlier Thursday.
The Coast guard searched for the victims from the air and in a boat.
“It is always a difficult decision to suspend a search,Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Keefe, Coast Guard Sector New Orleans Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator, said in a press release. “Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family and friends during this difficult time.”
Rescue crews involved in the search were:
- Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew
- Coast Guard Station Venice 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew
The identities of the other three victims have not yet been released.
This story was originally published December 29, 2022 at 9:16 PM.
