Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff reminds residents about boating safety lessons after incident on False River
JARREAU - A teenager is recovering from severe injuries after he was run over by a boat in False River on Saturday.
Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux said the 14-year-old victim was in the water when he was run over by the boat. He was airlifted to a hospital in Baton Rouge.
Sheriff Thibodeaux said the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is handling the case. Multiple calls to LDWF went unanswered over the weekend and on Monday.
"They will probably have a two to three week reconstruction of this accident, and they will do a very thorough investigation on this. And if there's charges there will be charges," Sheriff Thibodeaux said.
This is not the first major incident that has happened in False River. Over the past few years the Sheriff Thibodeaux has seen serious injuries and even fatalities on the water. He said that his agency offers boating safety lessons and wishes more people in the parish take them.
"Be responsible! It's just like operating a car. You shouldn't be drinking and driving a boat. Get a designated driver, maintain a safe operating speed, and a safe distance from other boats. And you're always supposed to have a proper lookout when you're operating a boat," he said.
WBRZ is still waiting for a response from LDWF.