Above & Beyond

Man's Life Saved by Coordinated Rescue Effort

By Lt. Brian Clark

What started out as a duck hunting adventure, almost turned into a tragic disaster for a seventy-five year old veteran hunter and fisherman of Slidell. The hunter was rescued late on the evening of January 8, 2002. The rescue effort involved DWF Enforcement agents, a DWF floatplane and citizen volunteers from the Breton Sound Marina located in Hopedale in eastern St.Bernard Parish.

The hunter had set out to duck hunt the Biloxi WMA on the morning of January 8. Northwest winds for a day had the water dropping rapidly. He ran hard aground and became stranded about mid-morning. He then jumped overboard to try and push the boat to higher water, but was unsuccessful. He eventually wore out and became trapped in the low later and mud for over five hours, steadily sinking deeper and unable to free himself. The tide continued to drop along with the temperature that was predicted to go into the lower 40's. The water temperature was already recorded at 47 degrees. Survival overnight would have been impossible.

The owners of the Breton Sound Marina pay very close attention to who launches and where they are planning to make their trip. In the late evening hours, everyone started getting concerned about the hunter being very late. The Marina had also received a call from his family with concerns about his safety. The Marina then contacted DWF for assistance with a search. Leon " Doody" Chaplain and Glen Sanchez from the Marina then began a search by boat. Mike Haase stayed by the telephones and kept contact with everyone involved in the search. Communications in this vast area are very difficult and were very important to the success of this mission. Captain Dares also manned communications and coordinated back and forth with Hasse to keep everyone organized. Lt. Brian Clark, Pilot Gene Rackle and USF&WS Special Agent Stephen Clark searched by air in the Department seaplane and soon located the hunter draped over the back of his small boat just before dark. Pilot Gene Rackle landed the seaplane in very low water conditions knowing the severity of the situation. The plane was unable to reach the hunter, but with the use of communications, Chaplain and Sanchez were directed to the area. Lt. Brian Clark and the hunter's son were brought to him and attempted to free him from the chest deep mud and water. Unable to do so, plan "B" soon came into affect. A rope was then secured around his chest and the boat was used to free him. It was very apparent at this time that he was suffering from the extreme stages of hypothermia. All of his clothing was then removed and replaced with warm dry ones, and he was covered and monitored by DWF staff. Pilot Gene Rackle then was able to free the plane and take off. Dark was closing in very fast and transport time was critical. Lt. Clark and Chaplain transported him by boat as the Department plane stayed above to await safe arrival to the Marina. It's a very good feeling to have eyes above you when working in hazardous conditions such as these. Medical Treatment was administered at the Marina by Priority, and the hunter spent the night in the hospital being treated for hypothermia. Thankfully, he was released the following day. A very successful end to an almost tragic outing.

The coordinated effort by all parties involved is what saved this man's life. Team work pays and has surely proven itself over the years. The owners of Breton Sound Marina are to be truly commended for their efforts in this rescue and the compassion and service that they provide to their customers. These guys were awarded at a later date by the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Enforcement Division for their bravery and services to the citizens of the state of Louisiana.