Dad on river with young son dies after boat hits fallen tree, Louisiana officials say
A 4-year-old boy was on a boat when his dad went overboard in a deadly Louisiana crash, officials said.
The dad was on the Cane River when he hit a fallen tree, sending him plunging into the water on Saturday, Dec. 3, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
The 4-year-old remained in the boat before people who saw the crash took him into one of their boats. The “good Samaritans” called 911 and later spotted the dad in the water, state officials wrote in a news release.
The man was pulled from the river and rushed to two medical centers, officials said. He was pronounced dead early Dec. 4.
The deceased man was identified as 37-year-old Jack Crowell of Natchitoches, roughly 75 miles southeast of Shreveport.
Crowell’s young son wasn’t physically hurt and didn’t require medical treatment, officials said.
Now, state agents are investigating the deadly incident, which was reported at about 6:30 p.m. in Natchitoches Parish.
Officials said Crowell was wearing an inflatable life jacket but that it “was not inflated when he was recovered from the river.”
“Crowell also had his engine cutoff switch attached to his (personal flotation device) and it worked properly to shut off the motor after he was ejected,” the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries wrote.
