ON APRIL 6, 2009 AT SOMETIME AFTER 00:30 HRS, A 17' SKEETER FIBERGLASS BASS BOAT (LA 6092 FK) WAS HEADED UPRIVER (NORTH) ON THE TCHEFUNCTE RIVER IN THE VICINITY OF THE I-12 BRIDGE NEAR COVINGTON, LA., WHEN THE BOW OF THE VESSEL STRUCK THE FIRST SET OF WOODEN, CREOSOTE PILINGS ON THE WEST FENDER OF THE I-12 BRIDGE.AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT, THE VESSEL TRAVELLED 31 YDS NORTH AND STRUCK A CONCRETE BRIDGE PILING (ON THE PORT SIDE OF THE VESSEL) AND TURNED EAST AND TRAVELLED APPROX. 38 YDS AND STRUCK TWO CONCRETE BRIDGE PILINGS SIMUTANEOUSLY AND CAME TO A STOP BY COLLIDING AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE WOODEN (CREOSOTE) FENDER SYSTEM. AT SOME POINT DURING THIS INCIDENT, operator WAS EJECTED FROM THE VESSEL AND KILLED. ON 4-6-09, AT APPROX. 20:00 HRS, SEARCH AND DRAGGING OPERATIONS WERE INITIATED BY DWF AND SHERIFF'S OFFICE PERSONNELL. ON 4-11-09 AT APPROX., 11:20 HRS, THE BODY WAS LOCATED BY DWF AGENTS AND RECOVERED BY DWF AGENTS AND SHERIFF'S OFFICE PERSONNELL. THE BODY WAS TURNED OVER TO ST. TAMMANY PARISH CORONER'S OFFICE AND AN AUTOPSY WAS PERFORMED THE SAME DAY. THE CORONER'S INITIAL REPORT LISTED THE CAUSE OF DEATH AS "BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA AND ASPHYXIA DUE TO DROWNING". BLOOD AND FLUIDS WERE DRAWN BY THE CORONER AND ALCOHOL AND TOXICITY SCREENINGS ARE PENDING. victim WAS NOT WEARING A PFD AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND ALCOHOL USE IS SUSPECTED.
COVINGTON                     