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Dwayne Lewis recalls praying to God to calm the seas as he floated away from the capsized liftboat that moments before had held him, along with his friends and coworkers, within its frame. Unable to swim, he was at the mercy of the dark waves of the stormy Gulf, waiting for a boat to find him as the storm raged on.
Lewis was the company man for Talos Energy on April 13 onboard the Seacor Power when it capsized about seven miles off the Louisiana coast. He gave his testimony today during a formal public hearing convened by the Coast Guard, to consider evidence related to the capsizing of the Seacor Power and the loss of 13 of its 19 crewmembers. The hearing is scheduled to last through August 13 as multiple witnesses are called to share their testimonies.
Lewis is one of six survivors of the incident.
During his testimony, Lewis recalled how he had gone to his room to take a nap after leaving the dock. When he awoke, the vessel was on its side. He described the TV flying off the wall at one point, as he looked out the window and realized the deck was sideways. Lewis and another crew member beat on a window of his room with a fire extinguisher. Once the window finally opened, he was sucked into the sea by a wave crashing onto the overturned vessel. Wearing his own life jacket and not knowing how to swim, Lewis floated for 3-4 hours before he was rescued by another vessel.
“You’re just begging God to please calm the seas,” said Lewis, emotional as he recalled those horrifying moments. “You talk to your dead mother… you tell her you’re not ready to see her.”
Testimonies are scheduled to continue for the next two weeks. Another survivor, First Mate Bryan Mires, is scheduled to speak tomorrow. Hearings begin at 8 a.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott in Houma. They are also broadcast live.
