On Sunday, October 1, 2023, at approximately 2:30PM a single vessel boating incident occurred at the mouth of the mouth of the Tchefuncte River and Lake Pontchartrain. Vessel 1 (V1), was a sailboat occupied by two adults. V1 was attempting to return to a boat launch, located in Madisonville, after a day on a Lake Pontchartrain. The return channel from Lake Pontchartrain requires a vessel to navigate north, then east along the shoreline, and back north into the mouth of the Tchefuncte River. V1 was cruising north and made the easterly turn along the shoreline toward the mouth of the Tchefuncte River. The easterly wind conditions increased and capsized the vessel. The operator and the passenger were wearing PFD's at the time to the incident, however the operator's PFD came off after the vessel capsized. A concerned citizen rescued the two individuals and called 911. Contributing factors include a forceful gust of wind, as the vessel sailed upwind, which lifted and capsized the vessel. Alcohol is not considered a factor in this incident. No citations were issued at the time of incident investigation.
Tchefuncte River
Madisonville                  