On July 24th, 2011, family members reported to the Louisiana wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Division (LDWF/LED) agents that two people had left to go on a fishing trip in the Mississippi River on the evening of July 23, 2011 and failed to return home. A single witness was located and reported that he had observed the two men departing the public boat launch located near the Mississippi River I-10 Bridge in Baton Rouge, La. The two men reportedly launched a fourteen (14) foot, aluminum, flat bottomed vessel equipped with a tiller steered engine. The subjects were both subsequently found deceased and floating in the river, downstream from the Mississippi River Bridge. 

Both subjects are believed to have drowned while the exact circumstances leading to their deaths are unknown, it is reasonable to presume that at some point during their voyage they encountered a sudden catastrophic situation wherein their vessel is likely to have taken on water and sank. The vessel has not been located to date. It was determined that neither man was wearing a PFD at the time this event occurred. Large barge and ship traffic on the Mississippi River regularly create large wakes resulting in hazardous situations for smaller vessels. It is the opinion of the investigating agent that the vessel used was inadequate for conditions commonly experienced in this area of the river. Also noted is the fact that several thunderstorms were reported in the area later that evening. It has not been determined that alcohol was a factor in this event.

BATON ROUGE                   