OPERATOR AND THREE OTHER PERSONS WERE FISHING IN LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN NEAR U.S. HIGHWAY 11. THE WAVES BEGAN TO GET LARGER SO THE GROUP DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE LAUNCH AT TITE'S, AT THE FOOT OF THE U.S. HWY 11 BRIDGE, ON THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. OPERATOR TRIED TO START THE ENGINE ON THE VESSEL BUT IT WOULD NOT CRANK. A LARGE WAVE CAME OVER THE BOW AND GUNWALES OF THE VESSEL CAUSNG IT TO BE SWAMPED. THE OCCUPANTS TRIED TO BAIL THE WATER OUT OF THE BOAT TO NO AVAIL. A PASSER-BY SAW THE OCCUPANTS IN DISTRESS AND BEGAN TO TOW THEM IN TO SHORE. UPON AGENT’s ARRIVAL TO THE SCENE THE VESSEL HAS MINIMAL FREE BOARD. AGENT ATTEMPTED TO RETRIEVE THE PASSENGERS FROM THE SWAMPED VESSEL AT WHICH TIME IT CAPSIZED. ALL FOUR OCCUPANTS OF THE VESSEL WERE RESCUED FROM LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND WERE SAFELY ABOARD AGENT PATROL VESSEL. ALL THE OCCUPANTS WERE BROUGHT TO SHORE AND THE VESSEL SANK AND COULD NOT BE LOCATED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES, ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE IS NOT SUSPECTED TO BE A FACTOR, AND ALL PFD REQUIREMENTS WERE MET.
Slidell                       