𝐀 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩, 𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝

Reported by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office

“𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤... 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣"

That line came from a message we received from a local citizen who wanted to make sure two deputies were recognized after rescuing him and two others during dangerous conditions on the water.

In his message, he described how on Saturday morning his boat’s anchor slipped while duck hunting, causing the vessel to drift nearly two miles away away from them while they were in the marsh. With temperatures well below freezing, strong winds around 25 mph, and rough water, the three hunters were left stranded in a marshy area and facing the very real threat of exposure.

He went on to say the deputies who responded were “covered in ice head to toe” and that he didn’t feel he got the chance to properly thank them for stepping in without hesitation.

Saturday morning around 8:30 a.m., Deputy Joey Schwindling of our Marine Division was dispatched to the Goose Point area of Lacombe. Deputy Schwindling deployed a Sheriff’s Office mud boat, despite being covered in water and ice from the rough waves,  he safely rescued all three individuals, bringing them out of the dangerous conditions.

After the hunters were safe, Deputy Schwindling and Sergeant Jared Mire returned to the area and retrieved the unmanned boat, returning it to its owners.

Because when conditions are at their worst, service doesn’t stop.