GRAND ISLE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agent, with the help good Samaritans, rescued nine people from an overturned boat — including a 7-year-old girl who was under the boat and needed CPR to start breathing again.
Sgt. Stephen Rhodes was patrolling afoot on the Grand Isle beach when he saw a 21-foot boat capsize Saturday evening, enforcement spokesman Adam Einck wrote in an email on Monday.
Rhodes' truck and trailered boat were a distance away. A good Samaritan in an ATV saw Rhodes running, drove him there and helped him launch the boat, Einck said.
Eight people on the overturned hull told Rhoades that a child was still under it, according to a news release sent Sunday.
The boaters were from Baton Rouge, Einck said.
Rhoades got them into his boat, then flagged down another boat to hold his steady while he went in to look for the little girl. He found her, brought her up and got her breathing.
An EMS crew was at the dock when Rhodes arrived. They stabilized the child and flew her to Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, where she is expected to make a full recovery, the department said.
“We are extremely proud of the actions of Sgt. Rhodes. He did an exceptional job of using good judgement and his training to help save the life of this young girl and the other occupants in the capsized vessel,” said Col. Chad Hebert, head of the LDWF Enforcement Division.
He also thanked all the people who helped: "Sgt. Rhodes was on patrol by himself and these good Samaritans helped him perform this rescue faster. That time saved probably made it possible to resuscitate the young girl.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
