‘I love you, dad.’ Coast man fears father is dead after Mississippi River barge crash
A candlelight vigil is planned for Shawn Pucheu of Bay St. Louis and two other crew members missing after two barge towing vessels collided Sunday morning on the Mississippi River.
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for the three missing mariners, whose towing vessel R.C. Creppel sunk after a collision with the Cooperative Spirit near Luling, Louisiana, the Associated Press reported. In addition to the three men missing, a fourth crew member was rescued by a passing boater, AP said.
Pucheu’s family has organized the candlelight vigil for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Washington Street Pier in Bay St. Louis for the RC Creppel crew. The Coast Guard on Tuesday morning identified the other two missing men as Matthew Brigalia and Lester Naquin. Further information about them was not immediately available.
Shane Pucheu on Monday shared about his father, Shawn Pucheu, in a Facebook post. He lamented that his children would never see their grandfather again.
“I can’t accept the reality that you’re gone,” Pucheu wrote. “That I won’t hear your voice again, that I won’t see your smile, that I won’t see Kylinn’s and Zaydin’s faces light up anymore when they see you when you get home off the boat and visit.
“I’ve tried to hide the hurt and emptiness. I’ve tried to smile instead of cry. I’ve tried to act like it’s all a dream and pretend that this whole tragedy never happened. I want to call you. I want to talk to you. I want to hear you laugh and say “I love you”. I want to say “see you later” and know it will happen again.... I love you dad.”
Shawn Pucheu was a wheelman on the R.C. Creppel.
The Coast Guard searched 835 nautical miles over 67 hours for the three men. The Coast Guard news release said McKinney Salvage is salvaging the barge, while the National Transportation Safety Board has joined the maritime agency to investigate the cause of the collision.
The R.C. Creppel was pushing two barges that held sulfuric acid, with some amount escaping during the collision, WDSU News in New Orleans reported. The Coast Guard says the air has cleared of any traces of the sulfuric acid.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 11:00 AM.
