Maritime Lawyer | Texas Maritime Lawyer | Port Aransas Barge Explosion Lawyer

Nearly two months after a deadly explosion killed two crewmembers aboard a barge off the coast of Port Aransas, Texas, officials with the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies gathered to discuss their response to the tragedy.

“Whether it’s tug and towing companies, whether it’s the barge companies, whether it’s the Coast Guard, whether it’s the Port, whether it’s the Port police, all those folks are here to kind of share their experiences,” Zachary Pickett, Port Preparedness Planner with the U.S. Coast Guard, said during the December 11th meeting in Corpus Christi.

One Crewmember Remains Missing

The explosion aboard the Bouchard Transportation oil barge occurred around 4:30 a.m. on Friday, October 20th. The vessel was being towed by the Buster Bouchard, which at the time was pulling up anchor about 3 miles from shore.

Two of the vessel’s eight crew were reported unaccounted for after the incident.

The remains of Dujour Vanterpool, 26, of Houston, were discovered the following Monday, about six miles south of the Malaquite Pavilion in the Padre Island National Seashore.

Zachariah Jackson, 28, of Salt Lake City, remains missing and is presumed dead.

The remaining crew escaped the burning barge without injury.

Responders from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Port of Corpus Christi were able to extinguish the resulting fire by Friday evening.

Cause of Explosion Remains Under Investigation

Monday afternoon’s meeting was intended to provide the Coast Guard and other agencies with a forum to address the aspects of the response that went well, as well as the areas that could be improved.

“We had great communications, we did pretty well on responding to the oil pollution as well too, but there are many things we can probably do better,” Pickett said.

The barge remains in a secure facility in the Port of Corpus Christi, while the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board work to determine the cause of the explosion.

“The barge is still being looked at, and it’s still being investigated, because we want to make sure that the tragic loss of those two lives never occur again,” Pickett said.

Were You or a Loved One Injured in an Offshore Explosion? Contact Our Undefeated Maritime Lawyers for a Free Consultation by Calling 1-888-302-3838 or Click Here.

With more than $1 billion recovered for our clients, including hundreds of workers injured or killed in offshore accidents and explosions, our Undefeated Maritime Lawyers have the expertise and resources to ensure that our clients and their families obtain full compensation for all of their injuries and losses.

All consultations are free. And because we only represent clients for a contingency fee, you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case.

To contact our Undefeated Offshore Explosion Lawyers for a free, no-obligation consultation, call 1-888-302-3838 or Click Here.

FREE CASE REVIEW

Fill out the form below for a Free Case Review with one of our Undefeated Maritime Lawyers

First Name

Phone

Email

Describe Your Case



All communications are private and confidential. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.