Accident report critical with actions of captain

An accident report by the National Transportation Safety Board was critical of the actions of the relief captain who was aboard the "Ricky J. Leboeuf" when it capsized and sank in the San Jacinto River on April 19, 2016. The day before the accident, the Houston and surrounding areas were inundated by heavy rains causing with the river to rise 5 feet above flood stage and have a stronger than normal current. The "Ricky J Leboeuf" with a crew of five was preparing to tow a pair of barges to Beaumont. The U.S. Coast Guard and the company operating the vessel at the time, D&S Marine Service, warned captains about performing certain maneuvers in these conditions. Federal investigators wrote the tug's relief captain was performing a downstreaming maneuver when a strong current caused the "Ricky J Leboeuf" to pivot, bump a barge, capsize and sink. The entire accident was captured by a nearby surveillance camera. Four of the crew members survived. A deckhand from Alabama, Joshua Brazeal, drowned. His body was discovered the following day. NTSB investigators noted the relief captain, who was not identified in the report, decided to attempt the maneuver despite the risks and without consulting the vessel's captain or the company port captain, as required by company policy. At the time of the accident, the captain and senior tankerman were sleeping in their staterooms. The relief captain's "decision was ill-advised and resulted in the death of a crew member." NTSB investigators wrote the relief captain refused to be interviewed by them or the US Coast Guard. The Coast Guard investigation was not yet complete.