St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith advises that during the months of December and January, the Marine Section of the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to the following incidents:
Call out/Assistance: December 10, 2020, 3:18 pm, Atchafalaya River out of Myette Point
On the afternoon of 12/10/20, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section was contacted by a supervisor who advised that there was a subject that had run out of gas near Myette Point. The deputy contacted SMPSO dispatch and was given a number to contact the complainant. The deputy contacted the boater who advised that he and his friend had run out of gas somewhere out of Myette Point. He also stated that he had GPS coordinates of the area. He stated he was in no immediate danger but was out of gas and his motor was not working properly. He also said that he was just out of Myette Point north of Six Mile Lake. The deputy and a reserve deputy responded in a marked patrol vessel. The deputies located the subjects in the river just above Six Mile Lake and towed them back to the landing without incident.
Call Out/Assistance: December 24, 2020, 9:00 am, Wax Lake Delta, (Greg Pass)
On Thursday, December 24, 2020, at approximately 0900 hours, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section received a call from dispatch in reference to a stranded duck hunter. Dispatch advised that the hunter called stating he was aground at the Wax Lake Delta and needed assistance. Dispatch also provided the coordinates to the hunter’s location. The deputy made contact with the hunter and advised him that the Sheriff’s Office would respond and if his situation changed to call back. The deputy responded with two reserve deputies to the coordinates given in SMB-5, a marked patrol vessel. Upon arrival, the deputies observed a duck hunting type vessel at the coordinates given. The deputies attempted to make contact with the occupants via loud hailer and cell phone. After approximately 1/2 hour, the hunter called stating they already returned to the boat launch. The hunter also failed to forward me the information on his passengers and vessel registration.
Call out/Assistance: December 24, 2020, 10:25 am, Wax Lake Delta (Pintail Pass)
On Thursday, December 24, 2020, at approximately 1025 hours, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section received a call from dispatch in reference to a stranded duck hunter. Dispatch advised that a hunter called stating his vessel had drifted away from him. Dispatch also stated that the hunter said he was in Ratcliff Pass and provided the coordinates. At that time the deputy was currently assisting another stranded duck hunter at the Wax Lake Delta. After checking the coordinates, it was learned that the hunter was in Pintail Pass at the Wax Lake Delta. The deputy made contact with the hunter and advised him that the Sheriff’s Office would respond shortly, due to the fact that they were already in the area, and call back if his situation changed. The deputy and two reserve deputies responded to the coordinates given in SMB-5, a marked patrol vessel. Upon arrival, the deputies observed three individuals standing on the shore at the coordinates given. The deputies made contact with the hunters and had them board the patrol vessel and they searched for their missing vessel. Minutes later, the missing vessel was located approximately 3/4 mile further down Pintail Pass. The three individuals and their gear were transported to the recovered vessel. They then returned to the boat launch under their own power.
Call out/Assistance: December 24, 2020, 12:30 pm, Wax Lake Spillway
On Thursday, December 24, 2020, at approximately 1200 hours, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section received a call from a hunter that was stranded in the Wax Lake Spillway. The hunter stated that he and two co-workers were returning from Bell Isle when their outboard engine failed and they were in need of assistance. The deputy advised the hunter that the Sheriff’s Office would respond. Due to the fact that they were already in the area, it took just minutes to arrive at the location (1/2 mile North of Coal Boat Pass in the Spillway). Upon arrival, the deputies made contact with the three hunters and had them to secure a towline to the vessel, and board the patrol vessel donning life vests. They were then towed to the Calumet Boat Launch without incident.
Call out/Search and Rescue: December 20, 2020, 8:03 pm, Atchafalaya River/Deer Island
On the evening of December 20, 2020, at approximately 2000 hours, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section was called out in reference to a boat being stuck on a sandbar around the Deer Island Bayou/Atchafalaya River area. The deputies left out from the Berwick Boat Landing and traveled down the river and located the subjects on the reserve between Deer Island Bayou and Plumb Island Point. The subject’s boat was far back on the sandbar, anchored in place, and the three subjects walked out to the deputies’ boat and were transported back to the Berwick Boat Landing without incident.
Call out/Search and Rescue: December 19, 2020, 4:04 pm, Atchafalaya River/Deer Island
On the evening of December 19, 2020, at approximately 1604 hours, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section was called out in reference to a boat being stuck on a sandbar around the Deer Island Bayou/Atchafalaya River area. The deputies left out from the Berwick Boat Landing and traveled down the river. The subjects were located between Deer Island Bayou and Plumb Island Point and were hard aground. The deputies were able to pull the vessel to deep water and loaded two passengers into the deputies’ marked patrol vessel due to the rain and cold weather. The other two boaters remained in their boat and followed the deputies back to the Berwick Boat Landing.
Call out/Assistance: January 16, 2021, 1:40 pm, Wax Lake Outlet
On the afternoon of January 16, 2021, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section was contacted by the dispatcher advising of a boater in the Wax Lake Outlet who was broken down but safe. The deputy contacted another Marine Section deputy and advised him of the complaint. The deputies proceeded to the subject in SMB4, a marked patrol vessel, and towed him in safely to the Calumet boat landing.
Call out/Assistance: January 17, 2021, 8:40 pm, Wax Lake Outlet
At approximately 20:40 on January 17, 2021, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section was contacted by a Patrol Deputy who advised that there was a distress flare sighted in the Calumet Cut south of the bridges towards the ICW. The deputy contacted another Marine Section deputy and advised him of the situation. The deputies met at the Calumet boat landing and searched the area from the landing to the ICW but were unable to locate anyone in distress.
Call out/Search and Rescue: January 17, 2021, 8:40 pm, Wax Lake Delta (Gadwall Pass)
On Saturday, January 09, 2021, at approximately 1830 hours, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section received a call from dispatch advising of a stranded duck hunter. Dispatch further advised that the boater advised that he was aground at the Wax and was in need of assistance. The deputy made contact with the boater via cell phone. The boater stated he was south of the campgrounds and sent the deputy a pin drop to his location. After receiving information to his location it was determined he was in Gadwell Pass. The deputy advised the boater that the Sheriff’s Office would respond and if his situation changed to call back. The marine deputies responded to the location in SMB-5, a marked patrol vessel. Upon arrival, it was learned the deputies did not have enough towline to reach the boater. The boaters walked out to the patrol vessel. The stranded vessel t was left at anchor and the deputies returned them to the Cabot boat launch without incident. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) were both contacted in reference to leaving the stranded vessel behind. The boater stated he would return the next day to retrieve his vessel.
Call out/SAR: January 10, 2021, 6:45 am, Amarada Pass (Lower Atchafalaya River)
On Sunday, January 10, 2021, at approximately 0645 hours, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section received a call from dispatch advising of a stranded duck hunter. Dispatch further advised that the boater called stating he was aground near the Game Warden Camp on the Atchafalaya River Delta and was in need of assistance. The deputy made contact with the boater via cell phone. The boater stated that he was on the edge of the bay right behind the Game Warden Camp. The deputy advised that the Sheriff’s Office would respond and if his situation changed to call back. The deputies responded to the location in SMB-5, a marked patrol vessel. Upon arrival, it was determined that the deputies could not reach the boater and his partner due to the extreme low tide. The deputy contacted the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Camp located in Amarada Pass and asked if they had a shallow draft vessel to assist. The Biologist retrieved the two boaters and returned them to the campgrounds. The boater stated the LDWF Biologist was going to bring him back to his vessel upon high tide. The deputies confirmed the information and returned to the Morgan City boat launch without incident.
Call out/Search and Rescue: January 11, 2021, 5:30 am, Big Wax Bayou
On Monday, January 11, 2021, at approximately 0530 hours, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section received a SAR text from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in reference to a disabled vessel that was taking on water. Dispatch called with the same information. The deputy contacted a petty officer with the USCG who stated that the boater called stating he and a friend ran aground and now the vessel was taking on water. The deputy made contact with the boater via cell phone. The boater stated that he and his friend were both uninjured, dry, and had already contacted another friend who was in route to their location to assist them. The deputy asked Brandon if he needed the Sheriff’s Office assistance and the boater stated he did not at this time. The deputy advised the boater that he would check back with him in a couple of hours and if his situation changed and he needed assistance to call back. Shortly after talking with the boater, an agent with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries contacted the deputy about this SAR and the deputy advised him of the situation. At 0830 the deputy tried contacting the boater but was unable to make contact. The marine deputies responded to the location in SMB-5, a marked patrol vessel. Upon arrival, they were unable to locate the boater or his vessel. The deputy tried to make contact again. This time the boater answered his phone and stated that he had already made it back to the boat launch. The deputy contacted the LDWF and USCG and updated them on this SAR call.
Call out/Assistance: January 16, 2021, 7:00 pm, Wax Lake Outlet
On the afternoon of January 16, 2021, a deputy with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section was contacted by the dispatcher advising of a boater in the Wax Lake Outlet who was broken down but safe. The deputy contacted another marine deputy and advised him of the complaint, then both of them proceeded to the subjects in SMB4, a marked patrol vessel. The boaters were located at the campground on the reserve. The vessel was towed in safely to the Calumet boat landing without incident.