Eleven men were killed when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, 2010. Five years later, their families -- mothers, fathers, siblings, wives and children -- soldier on without them and hold tight to their memories. Click through the gallery to learn more about each man.
Jason Anderson (Midfield, Texas) —
Anderson was 35. His daughter, Lacy, was 5 when he died. His son, Ryver, was 1. In a victim impact statement to a judge filed in January 2013, Anderson's wife, Shelley, described his absence in their lives: "It is grueling for me to tuck my daughter in bed and read her a story while my son is crying in the other room because mommy can only do one thing at a time and daddy is not home to help. ... Jason was planning to walk his little girl down the aisle on her wedding day, to dance the father-of-the-bride dance, to teach her to 'boom a deer.' ... He won't be holding my hand for any of the events in her life ever again."
Dale Burkeen (Philadelphia, Mississippi) —
Burkeen, 37, was a crane operator on Deepwater Horizon for 10 years. He was survived by his wife, Rhonda; his daughter, Aryn; and his son, Timothy. "The day of the explosion was Dale's wedding anniversary," his mother, Mary Burkeen, wrote in a victim impact statement. "The rig sank on my birthday, and Dale's birthday was April 24th. ... That is a week in April in which I will always be reminded of tragedy and loss -- a reminder that will take place each and every year for the rest of my life."
Donald Clark (Newelton, Louisiana) —
Clark, 49, was an assistant driller who spent a decade with the Transocean company. He was survived by his wife, Sheila, and four children: James, Krystal, Donald Jr. and Tandrea. He was remembered by colleagues as a gentle, soft-spoken man with an excellent work ethic.
Stephen Curtis (Georgetown, Louisiana) —
Curtis, 39, was an assistant driller on the Deepwater Horizon. He was survived by his wife, Nancy; his daughter, Kala; and his son, Treavor. Treavor and his father "had a special father-son bond," Treavor's mother, Sissy Curtis, wrote in a victim impact statement. "His father was his hero, his life and his everything." Stephen and Treavor loved hunting, fishing, baseball and watching NASCAR. Treavor recently wrote on his Facebook page: "Going to climb a tree in the a.m. and be where I feel closest to my Dad."
Gordon Jones (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) —
Jones, 28, was a drilling fluids specialist. He was survived by his wife, Michelle, and two sons, Stafford and Maxwell. Maxwell was born a few weeks after his father's death. "We work together so that his children will never forget who Gordon was," his sister, Kathleen Goodlife, wrote in a victim impact statement. "He was extremely funny with an obnoxiously contagious laugh. He had a way to make anyone feel welcome no matter their background. He really was an outstanding guy."
Wyatt Kemp (Jonesville, Louisiana) —
Kemp, 27, was a derrickhand aboard the Deepwater Horizon. He was survived by his wife, Courtney, and two daughters, Kaylee and Maddison. Kaylee had turned 3 on April 17, three days before the tragedy, "and we were waiting for her daddy to come home to have her birthday party," wrote her mother in a victim impact statement. Maddison was just 3 months old at the time. "Wyatt's memory will live on in our hearts, and through pictures, and the stories I tell our girls almost daily. I have kept pictures up in our house so Maddi will always know her daddy's face. Kaylee and I have dreams of Wyatt."
Karl Kleppinger Jr. (Natchez, Mississippi) —
Kleppinger, 38, was a floorhand who had worked with Transocean for 10 years. He was also a military veteran who served in the U.S. Army during Operation Desert Storm. He was survived by his wife, Tracy, and his son, Aaron. Kleppinger loved NASCAR, according to Steven Newman, president and CEO of Transocean.
Blair Manuel (Gonzales, Louisiana) —
Manuel, 56, was a senior drilling fluids specialist. He was survived by his fiancee and three daughters. "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. "My world has been rocked badly. I am not the same person. My baby boy ... will never know the love of his grandfather." One of his best friends said Manuel's credo for life was the four Fs: fun, family, friends and faith.
Dewey Revette (State Line, Mississippi) —
Revette, 48, was chief driller on the oil rig. He was survived by his wife, Sherri, and two daughters, Andrea and Alicia. He was a family man, fisherman, deer hunter. He adored his girls, and his wife says he never watched a movie his entire life -- too many largemouth bass to catch. He had just walked his oldest daughter, Andrea, down the aisle at her wedding. "That was our first thought when all this happened," Sherri said a few months after the rig explosion. "Our youngest child won't get that."
Shane Roshto (Liberty, Mississippi) —
Roshto, 22, was a floorhand who joined Transocean in 2006. He was deeply devoted to his wife, Natalie, and his son, Michael. On the inside of his hard hat, he wrote down two dates -- his wedding day and his son's birthday -- to get him through tough times.
Adam Weise (Yorktown, Texas) —
At 24, Weise was the second youngest to die and the only one who did not have children. He was a floorhand and drove 10 hours every three weeks to work on the rig. Every time Adam left, his mother said he'd tell her, "I'm working for your retirement, Mom." Arleen Weise clings to memories of her fun-loving son. He would hide in the bushes at the local golf club and blow an air horn when golfers hit mid-swing. When he was a boy, she kissed him on the school bus in front of his classmates. "That's OK," Adam said when they teased him, "because I love my momma."
