Officials recover bodies of 3 men who disappeared in Lake Maurepas
LIVINGSTON PARISH, La. (WAFB) - Authorities have found the bodies of all three men who went missing Sunday evening on Lake Maurepas.
On Monday morning, crews found the body of the man who jumped into Lake Maurepas to try to save his son and another man. Later in the day, around 6:30 p.m., the two remaining men’s bodies were found, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Officials identified the three men as Michael Bryant, 48, of Denham Springs; Zane Bryant, 20, of Denham Springs; and Zachary LeDuff, 18, of Greenwell Springs.
“You see weather coming and you are out in Lake Maurepas, the best thing you can do is to get away from it,” said Randy Lamoux, of Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. “You just have to remember the water can be a fun place, but it can be a dangerous place.”
The three men were among a large number of people on a pontoon boat in Lake Maurepas Sunday when witnesses say LeDuff went into the water and started having difficulty.
Witnesses say Zane Bryant jumped in to help but also started having trouble in the water.
At that point, witnesses say Michael Bryant also jumped in to assist his son and LeDuff.
None of the three men resurfaced.
The incident unfolded near the mouth of Blind River around 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 26.
Multiple agencies have been on the scene assisting in the search.
“What we believe is that there was kind of a turn in the weather at that time. The water was pretty calm. Lake Maurepas has a history and a reputation, it will turn on you fairly quickly,” said Lamoux.
Lamoux says if someone is drowning, the best option is to not jump in, but instead, try and throw a floatation device to the person and, most importantly, wear a life vest.
He says you should wear a life jacket any time you are boating or doing anything like that because it will save your life.
A life jacket would have made a difference here, he said.
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