Coast Guard suspends search for a missing helicopter, Gulf of Mexico

MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, the helicopter crew work in the search mission for the missing helicopter in the Gulf of Mexico — Archive imagen: an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans stops to refuel at a rig in May 10, 2014.
U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard suspended its search for the two people aboard an overdue helicopter that crashed in the Gulf of Mexico, Monday.

Coast Guard crews searched over 4,117 square-nautical miles for approximately 68 hours but were unable to find the passengers.

“It is never easy to suspend a search,” said Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Ferguson from Coast Guard Sector New Orleans. “We searched diligently with our pilots, boat crews and cutter crews but were unable to find the two men aboard the helicopter. Our condolences go out to the friends and family of the two men.”

Involved in the search were:

Coast Guard District Eight watchstanders
Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders
Coast Guard Cutter Sawfish crew
Coast Guard Station Grand Isle Response Boat-Medium boat crew
Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew
Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin aircrew
Coast Guard Station Venice Response Boat-Medium boat crew
Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Corpus Christi HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew
Panther Marine

Archive image: Coast Guard aviation crews prepare the HC-144 Ocean Sentry medium-range aircrafts for response efforts at Air Station Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, Texas.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Johanna Strickland.

Previous information on this case

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard is searching for two people aboard an overdue helicopter that likely crashed in the Gulf of Mexico, Saturday.

The tail number of the helicopter is N79LP and the owner is Panther Marine.

The Coast Guard Cutter Sawfish He worked on the search for the missing helicopter in the Gulf of Mexico. — Archive image: Coast Guard Cutters Manitou, Attu and Sawfish enjoy a restful moment just before sunset while moored at their homeport of Key West. The Manitou and Attu are 123-foot patrol boats and the Sawfish is an 87-foot patrol boat. The cutters are routinely deployed for maritime law-enforcement, undocumented migrant interdiction operations, search and rescue, living marine resources enforcement and homeland security missions.
USCG Photo by Lt. Cmdr. C. T. O’Neil.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard District Eight received a report at 10:37 a.m. from Panther Marine that the helicopter crew did not reach their destination. The passengers were transiting from one offshore platform to another but Panther Marine lost communications when they were 10 minutes from landing.

The crews last known position was 13 nautical miles west of Southwest Pass, Louisiana.

Involved in the search are:

Coast Guard District Eight watchstanders
Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders
Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew
Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin aircrew
Coast Guard Station Venice Response Boat-Medium boat crew
Panther Marine

-USCG-

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