St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith advises that over the last 10-week reporting period, the Marine Section of the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office responded to the following incidents:

 

Rescue mission:  April 9, 2020, 7:15 pm, Cote Blanche Bay

On Thursday, April 09, 2020, the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Marine Section received a call in reference to a SAR (Search and Rescue) call out.  A boater called stating he was in need of assistance due to his vessel having a dead battery.

The SMPSO Marine Section deputy responded in SMB-2, a marked patrol vessel, to the location given. Upon arrival, the deputy observed two individuals in a white bay boat. The deputy instructed the boater to secure a towline to his vessel before the boater and his passenger boarded the patrol vessel. They were then transported to the Burns Point boat launch without incident. The deputies were able to tow the stranded vessel to the Franklin boat launch without incident.

 

Assistance mission:  May 17, 2020, 1:45 pm, Peterson Canal

On Sunday, May 17, 2020, a SMPSO Marine Section deputy was contacted in reference to a boating incident on the Peterson Canal involving a Bass fishing vessel. A boater ran his vessel into a wooded area after experiencing a steering malfunction and was in need of assistance recovering his vessel.

The deputy responded to the location given in SMB-5, a marked patrol vessel. Upon arrival, he observed a boater standing in a vessel approximately 10 yards into a wooded area off the Peterson canal. I asked the boater if he had any injuries to which he replied he did not. At this time I explained to Andre the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries was notified and was on their way.

 

Search/Rescue mission:  May 26, 2020, 6:00 pm, Grand Avoille Cove Boat Launch, Charenton

On Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at approximately 1800 hours, the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Marine Section was contacted by dispatch in reference to a missing Juvenile at the Grand Avollie Boat launch. Dispatch further advised the juvenile was last seen in the water at the boat launch.

Upon arrival, the marine deputies launched SMB-2, a marked patrol vessel, and began running a sonar track of the area. We were able to recover the body of a juvenile in approximately 6.5 feet of water, one of the sonar targets previously marked.

The scene was then turned over to SMPSO detectives.

 

Assistance mission:  May 30, 2020, 2:30 pm, Cote Blanche Bay (Rabbit Island)

On Saturday, May 30, 2020, at approximately 1430 hours, the SMPSO Marine Section received a call in reference to a stranded boater near the Rabbit Island platforms. A boater and seven friends were stranded in a vessel due to engine failure near Rabbit Island. The deputy made contact with the boater via cell phone who confirmed the situation and his location. The boater was advised that the Sheriff's Office would respond and if his situation were to change before the deputies' arrival to call back.

Marine deputies responded to the location in SMB-5, a marked patrol vessel. Upon arrival, they observed eight individuals in a center console type sport fishing vessel. The vessel was towed back to the Burns Point Park without incident.

 

Search and Rescue mission:  May 31, 2020, 6:00 am, Cote Blanche Bay (Texaco Oil Field known as the Kitchen)

 On Sunday, May 31, 2020, at approximately 0600 hours, the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Marine Section was contacted by dispatch in reference to a stranded boater. Dispatch further advised that the boater called stating he was experiencing battery trouble in a 42' sport fishing vessel southeast of the Kitchen. The Marine Section deputy contacted the boater via cell phone and was able to confirm dispatch's information before losing contact due to a low battery on the boater's phone.

Two Marine Section deputies responded to the area given in SMB-5, a marked patrol vessel. After searching from East End to the Kitchen in a Northwest direction, they observed a white sportfishing type vessel located in the Northeast corner of the oil field known as the Kitchen. Upon making contact with the vessel, several attempts were made to restart the engines on the vessel with a jump box but were unsuccessful. At this time I offered to transport both individuals to the Franklin boat launch where they would be able to get a ride but both refused stating they would call a friend for a tow back to Cypremort Point.

 

Search and Rescue mission:  June 1, 2020, 10:45 am, Big Rabbit Island

On Monday, June 01, 2020, at approximately 1045 hours, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Marine Section received a call from dispatch in reference to a vessel sinking near Big Rabbit Island. Dispatch advised the 911 dispatcher had an individual on the line whose vessel had sunk and was in need of assistance. The 911 dispatcher transferred the call to the deputy's phone and the deputy spoke with the boater who stated himself and his two sons were 8 miles at 220 degrees from the Burns Point campground on a platform. The boater also stated his vessel had sunk but they were out the water and ok. The deputy asked the boater if he could obtain coordinates to the location, which he did provide. The deputy called the United States Coast Guard and had them on standby in case air support was needed.

Two marine section deputies responded to the area in SMB-5, a marked patrol vessel. Upon arrival at the coordinates, they observed three individuals standing on a small oil field platform. All three individuals were donning life vests and boarded the patrol vessel. They were transported to Burns Point campground without incident.

 

Assistance mission:  June 6, 2020, 10:45 am, Dry Reef (Vermillion Bay)

On Saturday, June 06, 2020, at approximately 1045 hours, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Marine Section was contacted by a deputy with Iberia Sheriff's Office in reference to a stranded vessel in Vermillion Bay. The IPSO deputy advised that the vessel was occupied by 2 persons and was stranded South of Dry Reef and they needed St. Mary's assistance.

A SMPSO Marine deputy and a deputy with the IPSO met at the Quintana Boat Launch. They responded to the area given in SMB-5, a marked patrol vessel. After searching the Dry Reef area they were unable to locate the vessel stranded. After updating the information with the boater via phone, the vessel was located near the mouth of Southwest Pass. Upon arrival, the deputies observed two boaters donning life vests, in a 21' center console type fishing vessel with trawl equipment. The vessel was towed back to Quintana Boat Launch without incident.

 

Search/Rescue mission:  June 19, 2020, 4:30 am, Dry Reef (Vermillion Bay)

St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office received a call from the USCG regarding an overdue boater. SMPSO Marine deputies launched SMB2 and SMB 5, both marked patrol vessels, and responded.  The deputies learned that the boater's vessel was involved in a crash and the incident was turned over to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. The SMPSO took on an assistance role in the search. The SMPSO Marine Section along with Vermillion Parish Sheriff's Office, Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office, and the United States Coast Guard joined efforts in the search over the next three days resulting in the recovery of a missing person on the 22nd of June by the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office.

 

 

Public Information Officer

St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office

985-384-1622

pio@stmaryso.com

http://www.stmaryso.com/