On 16 August 2011 at approximately 0815 hours, a fatal accident occurred on the offshore production platform, High Island A557 A, operated by Energy Resource Technology GOM, Inc. (ERT). Platform personnel were using the platform crane to move a rental generator from the platform onto a motor vessel. Two riggers were on deck close to the load, using tag lines to stabilize the lift. On the Platform deck in proximity to the generator were three tanks on the left side, and a barricaded lubricator attached to a wellhead, extending 14-ft above the deck, on the right side of the lift. When the load was lifted, the cranes boom hoist wire rope failed, the generator dropped to the deck, and the boom fell striking the generator. The boom subsequently broke into three sections; one section attached to the crane, the middle section resting on top of the dropped generator, while the nose section continued overboard. The cranes main block hook subsequently disengaged releasing the connection between generator and boom nose. The falling boom nose dragged the attached bridle/sheaves behind it as it fell overboard until its fall was arrested by the main load line and bridle pendant wire ropes. The 850-lb bridle/sheaves struck the fallen boom and pulled by the nose, ricocheted off of the end of the middle section, finally coming to rest against the platform toe-board. The rigger handling the left tag line was struck by the bridle and fatally injured.
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