Vessel apparently hit submerged object and capsized Saturday morning, LDWF says
A 20-year-old Baldwin man died early Saturday morning when the boat he was riding in hit a submerged object on the Atchafalaya River and capsized, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
LDWF spokesman Adam Einck said Blaine Tabb died in the 5:30 a.m. accident in lower Iberia Parish.
Tabb and another man were riding in a 16-foot aluminum boat on their way to go deer hunting on the Attakapas Wildlife Management Area when the accident happened, he said.
The other hunter was wearing a life jacket and managed to get back to shore. Tabb was not wearing a life jacket, Einck said.
“Anytime you’re under way, it’s always a good idea to wear a life jacket because you never know what might put you in the water,” Einck said. “Especially at this time of year, with the temperatures like they’ve been over the past week or so, that colder water just zaps your strength and energy right off the bat.
“It’s very hard to stay afloat in those types of conditions, especially when it’s dark and you’re not sure of the direction you need to be swimming.”
