On 09-04-2023 at approximately 5:44 A.M, Sgt. received a call from dispatch informing him of a vessel incident in which a vessel collided with a barge on the Charenton Drainage and Navigation Canal located in St. Mary Parish. 

Sgt. informed Agt. of the incident and they both responded. Sgt. contacted St. Mary Sheriff’s department regarding the incident to which they also responded, informing Sgt. that they had a vessel on the water already. 

Sgt. arrived on scene with the deputies. Once they made contact with the subjects, the subjects informed Sgt. and the Sheriff Deputies that they were taking in water and were advised by the coast guard to start navigating back to the Baldwin Boat Launch. 

With the subject's consent, Sgt. navigated the damaged vessel (a remote steered vessel) to Baldwin Boat launch were Agt. meet with Sgt.. The passengers informed the agents that they were heading out to fish that morning and while they navigated south on the Charenton Drainage & Navigation Canal they had collided with a barge that they were not able to see in time. 

Operator vessel sustained severe damage to the bow of the vessel, resulting in a raised up crushed bow. The vessel also sustained a broken windshield, a loosened console, broken trolling motor, broken electrical cables, broken rubber molding on the starboard side, and a torn hull on the front bow. 

Occupant was voluntarily transported to Oschner Hospital in Morgan City. Operator refused medical attention at that time, and later drove himself to Opelousas South Campus ER. Both passengers sustained injuries, Operator sustained 4 broken ribs and a scrape to the left leg. Occupant sustained a scraped arm and was left with back pain and rib pain, as a result of the collision.  

Agents and Sheriff Deputies then navigated south on the Charenton Drainage and Navigation Canal to the area where the incident took place. Agents identified the barge involved in the incident with ID number DM78-4 and learned from a caretaker on scene that the barge was managed by Central Boat Rentals. Agents documented the crash scene. During the initial approach to the scene agents and deputies did not observed any kind of lights indicating the position of any of the barges including barge DM78-4. 

Agents found barge DM78-4 to be blocking almost half the waterway in a position that obstructed the free navigation of vessels. After agents finished inspecting the scene they turned back heading north. Agents noticed two small flashlights placed on top of the most northernly barge. These flashlights were not noticed before by neither the agents nor the deputies. 

Agent believes that these small flashlights were placed there by someone not identified, while the agents and deputies were inspecting the crash scene. This flashlights are very unlikely to have lasted on all night, therefore the reasoning behind Agent belieF that they were placed there after the crash. This incident is a collision with a fixed object type of incident. 

Alcohol and drugs are not considered to be contributing factors in this incident. Personal flotation devices were available on the vessel but were not used. Agents determined that the contributing factors to be violation of Rules of The road (16 & 20), Operator inattention and blocked waterway. During the investigation of this incident, it was found that Operator violated rules of the road 20 (fail to maintain proper lookout) and rule 16 (failure to maintain proper speed for given conditions). Violation of these rules are prima facie of careless or wreck less operation. It is also noted that the barge company, Central Boat Rentals contributed to the incident by failing to maintain Barge DM78-4 from obstructing the waterway and failing to keep proper light signals on the barge.

Charenton Drainage Canal
Baldwin                       