ON AUGUST 9, 2009 AT APPROX. 12:00HRS., THREE WHITE MALE SUBJECTS WERE TRAVELING ON A SOUTHWEST COURSE IN A 16' FLATBOAT (LA-7441-AY) ON LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN IN THE VICINITY OF THE POWERLINES BETWEEN THE MOUTH OF THE TCHEFUNCTE RIVER AND THE TANGIPAHOA RIVER AND HEADED TO THE MOUTH OF THE TANGIPAHOA RIVER. AT SOME POINT, APPROX. 100 YDS EAST OF THE POWER LINE AND 4 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE TANGIPAHOA RIVER, A WAVE CAME OVER THE STERN OF THE VESSEL, CAUSING IT TO SWAMP AND SINK. ALL THREE SUBJECTS WERE FORCED INTO THE WATER AND EVENTUALLY SWAM TO SHORE. TWO OF THE SUBJECTS, OPERATOR 1, (THE OWNER AND OPERATOR OF THE VESSEL) AND OCCUPANT 1, WALKED NORTH DOWN THE SHORE TO GUSTE ISLAND AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT AT APPROX 4:00 HRS ON 8/10/09. THE OTHER SUBJECT, OCCUPANT 2, WAS LOCATED ON THE SHORE, WEST OF THE POWERLINE BY THE U.S. COAST GUARD AND AIRLIFTED BY HELICOPTER TO THE HAMMOND AIRPORT AT APPROX. 6:30 HRS. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT ALCOHOL WAS INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT, AND THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VESSEL WERE NOT WEARING PFD'S AT THE TIME THAT THE VESSEL SANK. THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VESSEL REPORTED THAT THE VESSEL WAS EQUIPPED WITH PFD'S, BUT THE VESSEL SANK SO QUICKLY THAT THEY COULD NOT GAIN ACCESS TO THEM BEFORE THE VESSEL SANK. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED IN THIS INCIDENT, AND THE VESSEL WAS COMPLETELY SUNK AND LOST.
Madisonville                  