Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The bird was rescued after being exposed to oil in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon oil platform more than three weeks before. It rests on the bottom about a mile below the Gulf surface. Gordon Jones, 28, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His wife, Natalie, filed a lawsuit April 21, 2010, saying she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after her husband was killed in the explosion. Watch video of the Deepwater Horizon sinking. The entire rig, which was constructed using 3.2 million pounds of steel, was built inside of a giant two-and-a-half million gallon water tank. Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf, President Barack Obama walks with Alabama Gov. He was their first-born son and second child. In the days following the explosion and sinking, it was thought that oil was gushing out at a rate of 42,000 gallons/day. From April 20, 2010 to July 15, 2010, an estimated 134 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the . "A human at that depth would be crushed to the size of a tennis ball," says Geoffrey Orsah, dean of the SMU School of Engineering. This webpage is limited to EPAs enforcement-related activities only, and does not cover all legal or other actions against BP Exploration & Production and other parties for the spill, such as private party/class action settlements for medical claims and economic damages, or other actions against those responsible for the spill. Full Coverage: Disaster in the GulfMore Photos. No. He had a way to make anyone feel welcome no matter their background. Photos: Animals Hurt By Gulf Oil Spill Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf, Oil is seen on river cane at the mouth of the Mississippi River, south of Venice, La. Kemp was scheduled to leave the rig April 21. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Deepwater Horizon's 11 Dead Remembered : The Two-Way : NPR Chief Electronics Technician Mike Williams had just hung up from a call with his wife when he heard the engines revving, saw the lights glowing, and heard the alarms (in the movie, his wife sees his room get brighter on a video call but in real life he was already off the call with her). An oil slick is seen in the Gulf of Mexico, Thursday, July 15, 2010. Deepwater Horizon Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images In early July the LMRP cap was removed for several days so that a more permanent seal could be installed; this capping stack was in place by July 12. Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf, A response vessel is seen along a line of emulsified oil between the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site and the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico, Monday, July 26, 2010. ". Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf More Photos. Standing behind Durbin are Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, left, Sen., Mary Landrieu, D-La., Sen. David Vitter, R-La., Louisiana Gov. -WashingtonPost.com, Yes, but this happened the following morning, not the night of the disaster. Many died from ingesting oil or because it interfered with their ability to regulate their body temperatures. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. How did the Deepwater Horizon oil spill affect birds? But when his girlfriend, Natalie, told him she was pregnant, he quit school, applied to go offshore and landed an ordinary seamans position on the Deepwater Horizon. Oil from the leaking Deep Horizon oil rig is seen swirling through the currents in the Gulf of Mexico, May 6, 2010. Roy Wyatt Kemp, 27, Jonesville, Louisiana. Ill float to an island somewhere. These photos of the real Deepwater Horizon explosion might show what really happened, but they lack the firsthand experience of what happened on the rig that night. A victim of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a Brown Pelican sits on the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast after being drenched in oil, June 3, 2010. cemetery April 6. Remember, the Deepwater Horizon was just looking for oil and was not there to pump it. Oil is seen washing ashore June 26, 2010, in Orange Beach, Alabama. Video: Journalist Dives Into Oil SpillFull Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf, Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill pools against the Louisiana coast along Barataria Bay Tuesday, June 8, 2010. Wildlife are vulnerable to the oil spill resulting from last week's explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Though fitted loosely over the BOP and allowing some oil to escape, the cap enabled BP to siphon approximately 15,000 barrels of oil per day to a tanker. As evidenced by both witnesses and video of the Deepwater Horizon engulfed in flames, the real-life explosion was equally as bad as what's shown in the movie. I dont want to talk about it.. It was three days shy of their sixth wedding anniversary. Burkeen was a crane operator on the Deepwater Horizon and had worked for Transocean for a decade before the disaster. He really was an outstanding guy. His wife, Shelley, said Thanksgiving was his favorite holiday. They're currently conducting a 15-year study. BP Oil Spill: Facts and Environmental Impact - Treehugger Kleppinger, 38, was a floorhand who had worked with Transocean for 10 years. Corrections? Kleppinger left behind a son, Aaron. 2023 Cable News Network. Deepwater Horizon - BP Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill | US EPA Perhaps the best witnesses were the college kids who had been fishing under the rig. Standing behind Napolitano are Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., left, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. On April 20, 2010, the oil rig exploded, resulting in the deaths of 11 workers and injuring 17 others. Of all the efforts by all the workers and volunteers responding now to the nation's worst offshore spill, the attempts to cleanse these animals and set them free tug hardest on the heartstrings. Click through the gallery to learn more about each man. Browse 7,363 deepwater horizon photos and images available, or search for bp oil spill or oil spill to find more great photos and pictures. At the time of his death, the son had been in the oil industry 17 years. Gov. I dont need objects to remind me of him, she says. The rest worked for Transocean. Full Coverage: Disaster in the GulfMore Photos. As I got to the next door, it exploded. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill adversely affected wildlife throughout the Gulf of Mexico, including marine mammals, sea turtles, birds, fish, and invertebrates. Hahn rescues a heavily oiled bird from the waters of Barataria Bay which are laden with oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in Barataria Bay, La., on June 26, 2010. Once in the water, Williams described his scramble to get away from the burning oil around him. Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf, Dolphins swim near a boat carrying the Florida governor on a tour of oil skimming efforts in Pensacola Bay in Pensacola, Fla., Saturday, June 26, 2010. Bobby Jindal, left of center, speaks at a press conference in Galliano, La., Monday, May 24, 2010. ", Yes. Manuel had three daughters. -Deepwater Horizon: Disaster in the Gulf This Coast Guard image shows flames engulfing the real Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Revette had been a driller with Transocean for 29 years. And I didn't hear anything. He was survived by his wife, Courtney, and two daughters, Kaylee and Maddison. He could hardly breathe and he also had suffered injuries to his ankle and elbow. Two months after Jones death, his widow gave birth to their second son Maxwell Gordon, a name theyd decided on shortly before he left on his last hitch. hwy. Kleppinger was a veteran of the first Gulf War and the father of one child. Fire boats at the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon, April 21, 2010. An oil soaked pelican takes flight after Louisiana Fish and Wildlife employees tried to corral him on an island in Barataria Bay just inside the the coast of Louisiana, May 23, 2010. It killed wildlife, tainted fisheries, and damaged coastal ecosystems from marshes in Louisiana to beaches in Florida. Browse 5,533 deepwater horizon oil spill photos and images available, or search for bp oil spill or oil rig explosion to find more great photos and pictures. "My world has been rocked badly. Full Coverage: Disaster in the GulfMore Photos, In this aerial photo taken Wednesday, April 21, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico, more than 50 miles southeast of Venice on Louisiana's tip, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig burns.Full Coverage: Disaster in the GulfMore Photos, In this aerial photo taken Wednesday, April 21, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico, more than 50 miles southeast of Venice on Louisiana's tip, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig burns. And I fell for what seemed like forever," he told 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Did you encounter any technical issues? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. An oil slick is seen as the Deepwater Horizon oil rig burns in the Gulf of Mexico more than 50 miles southeast of Venice on Louisiana's tip, April 21, 2010. A dead dolphin in Plaquemines Parish alongside tar balls Aug. 5, 2010, more than 100 days after the oil disaster began. He was a fan of Louisiana State University athletics and had football and basketball season tickets. As the film emphasizes, the Deepwater Horizon didn't pump oil. Revette, 48, was chief driller on the oil rig. The others joined him in the Lord's Prayer to pay respect to those who had perished. Maxwell was born a few weeks after his father's death. The explosion was caused by a blowout of the well that the rig was drilling. Omissions? One of his best friends said Manuel's credo for life was the four Fs: fun, family, friends and faith. 23, south of Belle Chasse on July 13, 2010. More Than One Million Birds Died During Deepwater Horizon - Audubon Weise drove 10 hours to Louisiana every three weeks to work on the rig. "I saw a blue spark and then the whole thing just went up in flames," said student Westley Bourg. Full Coverage: Disaster in the GulfMore Photos, A Tuesday, May 18, 2010, aerial photo provided by the Louisiana Governor's office shows thick, rust-colored ribbons of emulsified oil encroaching on the shores of the Pass a Loutre Wildlife Management Area, dark pools of oil forming near the coast, and oil overtopping protective booms. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Eleven portraits of those who died on the Deepwater Horizon A Warner Bros. 5,533 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images Miraculously, 115 crew members escaped the raging inferno. But the avid fisherman and family man never really enjoyed leaving home., He left that job out there, he really did, says his widow, who was in her mid-20s when relatives introduced her to Clark when he moved back to Newellton. Harrell was the rig's offshore installation manager (OIM). Fish and Wildlife officials. The Deepwater Horizon rig disaster caused the deaths of 11 crew and a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Yes. Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf, Oil is seen on the the bill of a pelican on an island in Barataria Bay just off the the coast of Louisiana, Sunday, May 23, 2010. The volume of oil escaping the damaged welloriginally estimated by BP to be about 1,000 barrels per daywas thought by U.S. government officials to have peaked at more than 60,000 barrels per day. Within a month of the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion, BP began running an aggressive and expansive local PR campaign, placing full-page advertisements in local newspapers around the Gulf coast . While fact-checking the Deepwater Horizon movie, we learned that on April 20, 2010, the day of the disaster, BP and Transocean officials showed up to give the rig's crew a safety award to celebrate seven years without a lost-time accident. Karl Kleppinger Jr., 38, of Natchez, Miss. Family members of Eugene Moss, 37, of Jayess, Miss., who was on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, read news on their PDAs as they await his arrival with fellow crew members who were safely evacuated, in New Orleans, Wednesday, April 21, 2010. He was a floor hand at the time of the disaster. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon has affected wildlife throughout the Gulf of Mexico. They got about 100 yards from the rig and had a front row seat to the disaster that was about to unfold. Curtis was a fan of NASCAR, especially driver Jimmy Johnson, and loved baseball and bow hunting for deer and turkey passions he tried to share with his son, Treavor. "He was in pretty bad shape." He won't be holding my hand for any of the events in her life ever again. "That was our first thought when all this happened," Sherri said a few months after the rig explosion. Short portraits of 11 who died on the Deepwater Horizon While much of the oil has since been contained, the full impact of the spill on the environment is still largely unknown. Kleppinger loved NASCAR, according to Steven Newman, president and CEO of Transocean. Search instead in Creative? Donald Vidrine never testified in the federal hearings due to medical issues that his lawyer said were caused by the blowout. Yes. Once released by the fracture of the core, the natural gas traveled up the Deepwater rigs riser to the platform, where it ignited, killing 11 workers and injuring 17. Treavor and his father "had a special father-son bond," Treavor's mother, Sissy Curtis, wrote in a victim impact statement. Deepwater Horizon spill likely made dolphins deathly ill, study says Contamination can be passed on through fish eggs, according to the researchers. What do we know about the Deepwater Horizon disaster? - BBC An oil slick sits on the surface of the water a few miles from the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 17, 2010. Every minute at least 150 gallons of oil leaked into the Gulf. The true story confirms that 11 of the 126 crew members lost their lives during the April 20, 2010 blowout. The oil rig involved in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was owned and operated by offshore oil-drilling company Transocean and leased by the oil company BP. One of those killed on the rig was Karl Kleppinger, 38, of Natchez, Mississippi, who leaves behind a wife, Tracy, and a 17 year-old son, Aaron. "I began to crawl across the floor. He was deeply devoted to his wife, Natalie, and his son, Michael. His daughters birthday was three days before the explosion. Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf, Starfish are seen washed ashore on the Chandeleur Islands, home of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, is seen off the Southeastern coast of Louisiana, Tuesday, April 27, 2010. In the end, the rig was set ablaze to recreate the explosions and inferno. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in pictures, The Perils of Industry: 10 Notable Accidents and Catastrophes, https://www.britannica.com/event/Deepwater-Horizon-oil-spill, National Ocean Service - Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Oil drilling in Gulf safer, but concerns linger, report says, Deepwater Horizon oil spill: debris and oil, Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010: path of the oil, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. His son, Ryver, was 1. First off, the movie's Vidrine (John Malkovich) chalks up the bad result of the negative test to something he calls a "bladder effect." Full Coverage: Disaster in the GulfMore Photos, The Deepwater Horizon oil rig burns and begins to collapse into the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, April 22, 2010. Here is a list of the 11 workers who died after a blast on the BP-leased drilling rig Deepwater Horizon on April 20, 2010, about 50 miles southeast of the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico. The victims of the Deepwater Horizon explosion - World Socialist Web Site Maddison was just 3 months old at the time. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill began on April 20, 2010, when an explosion damaged the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf More Photos, A dolphin swims near a marker for an oyster bed, right, in Bayou Pete, a tributary of Breton Sound off the coast of Louisiana on Sunday, May 2, 2010. Donald Duck Clark, 49, of Newellton, Louisiana. Obituary | Jason Anderson | Taylor Bros. Funeral Home The ship eventually became a refuge for the survivors. This webpage provides information and materials on EPAs enforcement response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, settlements with several of the defendants, including the record-setting settlement with BP Exploration & Production for an unprecedented $5.5 billion Clean Water Act penalty and up to $8.8 billion in natural resource damages. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kate Hudson, Dylan O'Brien, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich |, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Yes, but not as the disaster began. With no casket to put them in, his widow had the pictures laser-etched onto his gravestone. ctor Kevin Costner, co-founder of Ocean Therapy's centrifuge system to separate oil and water, talks to Plaquemines Parish president Billy Nungesser, right, while aboard the Ella G. vessel to be deployed carrying Ocean Therapy's machines, in Port Fourchon, La., Thursday July 8, 2010.Costner's SkimmerSpecial Section: Disaster in the Gulf, BP COO Doug Suttles and actor Kevin Costner, co-founder of Ocean Therapy, announce the Ella G. vessel to be deployed carrying Ocean Therapy's centrifuge system, in Port Fourchon, La., Thursday July 8, 2010. Both lifeboats that were designated to be used left without Mike Williams, the rig's captain Jimmy Harrell, and several other crew members. Jones arrived on the rig the day before the explosion. He once told his sister: Anything ever happens to me on that rig, I will make it. At 24, Weise was the second youngest to die and the only one who did not have children. EDITORS NOTE Information for these vignettes comes from interviews with the victims survivors, the New York Times and a memorial issue of Beacon, a magazine published by rig owner Transocean. Dont worry about it. Before it was capped three months later, approximately 134 million gallons of oil had spilled into the Gulf, the largest offshore . Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. George Ross, a Briggs employee from Aberdeen, Scotland, watches a controlled burn of spilled oil July 10, 2010. Full Coverage: Disaster in the GulfMore Photos, This image of the Gulf Coast and the oil spill, taken on April 25 by NASA's Aqua satellite and using its Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, shows the Mississippi Delta on the left and the wide oil slick to the right. The defective BOP and the capping stack were removed in early September and replaced by a functioning BOP. The main deck sat 53 feet in the air and real instrument screens from similar oil rigs were used to recreate the bridge, in addition to real parts being used for the rigs construction. In addition, links for additional information on the spill, cleanup activities and other responses are provided below. Known on the rigs as Papa Bear, Manuels hunting buddies called him Gros Bebe or big baby. A senior drilling fluids specialist, the goateed Manuel worked for Houston-based M-I SWACO, which supplied materials to the Deepwater Horizon. Tens of thousands of dolphins and whales were exposed to the oil, with a record high. Deepwater Horizon oil spill, also called Gulf of Mexico oil spill, largest marine oil spill in history, caused by an April 20, 2010, explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil riglocated in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 41 miles (66 km) off the coast of Louisiana and its subsequent sinking on April 22. Dewey A. Revette, 48, of State Line, Miss. Portrayed by John Malkovich in the movie, visiting BP executive and acting rig supervisor Donald Vidrine insists on going ahead despite complaints of faulty equipment and unfinished checks. Here are some of the harrowing scenes from the largest oil spill in US history: A boat makes its way through crude oil April 28, 2010. Deepwater Horizon: The True Story of Survivor Mike Williams - People Though similar to the failed top kill, mud could be injected at much lower pressures during the static kill because of the stabilizing influence of the capping stack. Stephen and Treavor loved hunting, fishing, baseball and watching NASCAR. "I remember closin' my eyes and sayin' a prayer, asking God to tell my wife and little girl that daddy did everything he could, and if I survive this, it's for a reason. Deepwater Horizon oil spill | Summary, Effects, Cause, Clean Up In addition to meticulously recreating the rig, current and former oil workers and Coast Guard members were cast in smaller roles, adding to the realism. Photos: Animals Hurt By Gulf Oil Spill Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf, Associated Press journalist Rich Matthews dives into the waters in the Gulf of Mexico on June 7, 2010, to investigate what we aren't seeing from overhead photos. Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf More Photos, This Wednesday, April 21, 2010, aerial photo shows oil in the Gulf of Mexico, more than 50 miles southeast of Venice on Louisiana's tip, as the Deepwater Horizon oil rig burns. The latter rendered his left arm nearly useless as he tried to help the crew get off the ship. Roshto, 22, was a floorhand who joined Transocean in 2006. An assistant driller on the Deepwater Horizon, Curtis followed in The footsteps of his father, who was a diver-welder. Kemp was married. "We work together so that his children will never forget who Gordon was," his sister, Kathleen Goodlife, wrote in a victim impact statement. Photos: Animals Hurt By Gulf Oil Spill Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf. He adored his girls, and his wife says he never watched a movie his entire life -- too many largemouth bass to catch. Discovery Company. On this day eight years ago, the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig experienced an uncontrollable blowout, causing an explosion that killed 11 people and set off the most devastating environmental disaster in US history. Plaquemines Parish Coastal Zone Director P.J. When he was a boy, she kissed him on the school bus in front of his classmates. Ten years later, BP oil spill continues to harm wildlifeespecially His widow has remarried. Donald Clark, 49, of Newellton, La. The effect of the microscopic oil droplets on the ecosystem was unknown, though their presence, along with that of a layer of oil several inches thick discovered on portions of the seafloor in September, cast doubt on earlier predictions about the speed with which the discharged oil would dissipate. I was mad that these fire doors that are supposed to protect me are hurtin' me." Flames shootin' out the side of the rig. Written in Wite-Out under the brim of his blue hard hat were two dates: His and Natalies anniversary, and their son Blaines birthday. -Deepwater Horizon: Disaster in the Gulf. Full Coverage: Disaster in the Gulf More Photos, In this May, 23, 2010, photo provided by the Plaquemines Parish, La. John Blazier, left, and Andy Porter walk to the top of a levee to get a view of a closed beach in Grand Isle, La., on May 24, 2010. As explained in the movie, the negative test was done to determine whether the cement job to seal the well had worked. NOAA, other federal and state natural resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations responded to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to assist affected wildlife. A controlled burn of oil sends towers of fire hundreds of feet into the air June 9, 2010. A worker on the oil skimmer Louisiana Responder looks over oil booms as they collect oil from a leaking pipeline that resulted from the explosion and collapse of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana on April 27, 2010. "My dad was not only the best father ever, but still after being in my 30s, was a man that I called a friend," wrote one of his daughters, Jessica, in a victim impact statement.