Two Bodies of Missing Crew Recovered From Sunken Fishing Vessel in Gulf of Mexico

After the Coast Guard suspended search efforts on Friday for crew members following the sinking of fishing vessel the Sandy Point in the Gulf of Mexico, independent salvage divers have recovered the bodies of the 2 remaining crew members off the Mississippi coast.

The 163-foot Sandy Point collided last Wednesday with a 600-foot container vessel, the Eurus London, as it was bound for Texas approximately 8 miles offshore Gulfport.  The Sandy Point could not withstand the collision, sinking with a total of 16 crew members aboard. 

A pilot boat had recovered 11 of those crew members from the water transferring them to a safe vessel.  Two more crew from Sandy Point made it aboard the Eurus London on their own from the water. 

Omega Protein Inc., the parent company to the Sandy Point, released a statement explaining that the 2 reclaimed bodies from the salvage team were turned into the Harrison County Coroner’s office to conduct autopsies for the total of 3 fishermen who died in result of the collision.

Harrison country Coroner, Gary Hargrove, has reported that the cause of death for all 3 fishermen was drowning.  The men have been identified as 65-year-old Thomas L. Moore, 58-year-old Lindsey Tucker and 48-year-old Rhoderick Watkins.

The cause of the incident is currently under investigation, as well as a safety zone still in effect for the Gulfport Ship Channel, in accordance for continuing search and relief efforts of salvage operations.