L’Observateur / July 19, 2000

RESERVE – As a 17-foot bay boat turned circles out of control, a small year-and-a-half-old boy huddled alone waiting to be rescued.

Randy and Anna Posey Livingston were headed south across Lake Maurepas toward the mouth of Blind River about 7:30 p.m. Saturday when the impactof hitting a large wave tossed Anna out of the boat. As Randy attempted toretrieve his wife, another wave knocked him clear of the boat as well.

With the throttle open, the boat turned circles at high speed, leaving the child with no chance of escape.

The Poseys were retrieved from the water by Andy Wall of Pine Grove.

Wall was a friend of the Poseys, and with all on board they attempted a rescue. Unfortunately Wall’s boat collided with the out of control craftand was sunk. Shortly after, rescue officials from St. John the BaptistParish retrieved the individuals. The Department of Wildlife and Fisherieswere contacted by St. John and dispatched four boats to the scene.For 45 minutes the boat turned circles. Unable to see the child, officialswere afraid he had fallen from the boat. Wildlife and Fisheries agents GuyAdams and Cullen Sellers, who were at the scene, decided to attempt another rescue. With their’s being the largest out of the rescue crews,Sellers pulled in behind the Posey’s circling boat. Adams leapt into thepilotless craft and cut the engine. The boy was huddled in the bottom ofthe boat, scared and crying, but uninjured, said Adams.

An ambulance crew met the rescue team at the Reserve Canal boat launch in Reserve, but no serious medical attention was required.

Though the incident is still under investigation by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the agency has ruled out alcohol as a factor. Capt.Joe Matassa, LDWF, stated that the boat was a too small to handle the rough water on the lake that evening.

Capt. Wayne Brescher, regional supervisor of the LDWF, stated that therescue was dangerous and nominated Sellers and Adams for a lifesaving award.

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