On Saturday, June 10, 2023, Sgt. 2 and I, 1 were on patrol in Union Parish. A storm moved into the area at approximately 2:30pm and the winds and rain were very rough. As Sgt. 2 and I were crossing Lake Darbonne we witnessed a vessel being slammed against the sea wall at Folley Beach just off of LA Hwy 33. I witnessed a couple white males in the boat and another white male standing on the shore. Sgt. 2 and I stopped to assist as we noticed the boat taking on water and the occupants struggling with the vessel.

Upon making contact, I identified the male on the bank as Owner. I knew Owner and told him that we had to get what we could out of the vessel and that in the current conditions there was nothing we could do for it. I jumped into the boat and helped removed several items and I turned the bilge pump switch on before exiting. I instructed the other two young males, Operator and Passenger 1, to exit the vessel as well. I tied the vessel to the sea wall and told Owner that when the storm passed we would conduct a boat accident investigation. I had to leave the scene to assist with two other ongoing boating accidents on the lake.

After the storm passed, Corporal 3 assisted them with recovering/towing the vessel and he also provided the operator, the operator incident packet. Cpl. 3 located the witnesses and also provided them with witness statements. All of the documents were returned to the Union Parish Sheriff's Office (UPSO) upon completion. Cpl. 3 photographed the vessel and provided me with those photos. They are attached to this report.
              
On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, I obtained the operator incident packet from and the witness statements. I also made contact with Owner and went to his residence for further investigation of the vessel. While at his residence I photographed the motor, motor serial number, and HIN on the vessel. Owner also provided me with photographs of the hull and trolling motor. All of these photographs are attached to this report. 
               
Operator's statement says that he noticed the storm starting to move in and they packed up their belongings and started heading for the shore. Operator said that he was having motor problems and the motor was not wanting to stay cranked once he put it in gear. Operator stated that he was forced to use his electronic trolling motor to try and get to the nearest shore, which was Folley Beach. Once there, he said that the two female passengers, Passenger 3 and Passenger 2, exited the vessel safely. He said at that time is when myself and Sgt. 2 arrived and we started collecting belongings and tied the vessel off. Operator stated that both of the female passengers were wearing their PFDs during the incident.
              
Passenger 1, Passenger 2, and Passenger 3 all provided witness statements. All of these statements align with Operator's. These witness statements are attached to this report. There were no injuries during this incident. Neither alcohol nor drugs were suspected to be used during this incident.
Lake Darbonne
Farmerville                   