Fisherman rescues man who fell off I-10 into Whiskey Bay, troopers say

IBERVILLE PARISH, La. (WAFB) - A fisherman rescued the man who fell off I-10 East and into Whiskey Bay following a crash on Friday, March 4.

Authorities said a man driving on I-10 on the way to Baton Rouge had car trouble near the Whiskey Bay exit and when he got out to check his car, the unthinkable happened.

“People what I thought was throwing ropes into the water to rescue somebody who had been thrown into the water from the crash,” said Clay Henry.

Henry was driving in the opposite direction and saw the other side of traffic coming to a stop. He witnessed the best of humanity, people getting out of their cars to try to rescue a man who was in the water and treading for his life.

According to Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, another driver had slammed into the car that was stalled in the left lane, the impact sent the man over the rails into the water. Luckily, someone was close enough to come to his rescue.

“The man, obviously, was in a lot of pain. I don’t really know the extent of his injuries but he certainly … it was a miracle that the boater was right there,” added Henry.

That boater was a fisherman who crawfishes for a living, often in that area. The fisherman navigated his boat toward the man who had been bobbing in the bay for about 15 minutes at that point. The fisherman pulled him into his boat just in time.

“It looks to me when that boater got there it was right at the right moment because the man that was in the water was having a very hard time staying afloat. I don’t know how much longer that guy would’ve lasted, to be honest with you,” explained Henry.

For two hours, I-10 traffic going east was at a stop. The Iberville Sheriff’s Office said that spot was one of the most dangerous places for a car to stall. Maj. Monty Migliacio with IPSO shared advice for any driver going across the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge who runs into car problems.

“If he could have gotten his vehicle to the right lane and then over to the shoulder, that would have been the best-case scenario,” said Migliacio.

Two other people were in the stalled car when it was hit. They were also taken to the hospital, along with the man who was fished out of the bay. The man who was rescued and at least one passenger are both in serious condition. The driver that hit the other car also went to the hospital.

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