Ripping lips and…. grown men out of sinking cars.
The bass season is officially underway with the MLF’s Bass Pro Series busy at the Harris Chain in Florida over the weekend and Bassmaster’s Elite series kicking off this week at St. Johns River… also in Florida.
And while that’s certainly exciting, two bass anglers got a little more excitement than they bargained for, fishing a local tournament on the Cane River in Louisiana. A week ago Saturday, February 8th, Brock Newcomb and Tyler Dauzat were fishing in the 2nd Annual Heart of Hospice Bass Tournament in Natchitoches, Louisiana, to help raise money for the Hospice Promise Foundation. Bass fishing for a good cause… you can’t beat it.
While on the move to a new spot, the two anglers spotted a submerged vehicle and immediately stopped fishing and rushed their boat to the wreck. An 80-year-old man had veered off the road and was still inside the vehicle, disoriented and suffering from a facial laceration. The anglers quickly worked to get him out of the car through the window and safely on the boat. They took him back to the boat ramp where he could be treated. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies, Louisiana State Police, Cane River Patrol, Natchitoches Regional Medical Center EMS, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and the NPSO Dive Team all responded to the scene and they were eventually able to get the car out of the river.
Natchitoches Parish Sheriff, Stuart Wright, released a statement, praising the two bass anglers for their courage:
“What Brock and Tyler did was nothing short of heroic. They risked their own safety to help a stranger in need, and without their intervention, the outcome could have been much worse. We are incredibly grateful for their swift response and bravery.”
Brock and Tyler said that they simply did what anyone would do in the same situation:
“We just did what anyone would do. We saw someone in need and did our best to help. We’re just glad we were able to get him out of there.”
Needless to say, they didn’t win the tournament, but something tells me that saving a man’s life is probably a lot more rewarding than cashing a check for a few thousand bucks.
Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office shared a number of photos of the scene, and man, it could’ve been bad had these two not rushed into action.
Here’s the official details of the accident:
“The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office thanks the fishermen that were involved in the rescue and aid of this crash victim. Thank you all!
At 2:20pm, the NPSO Dive Team has arrived on scene to coordinate, plan, and assist towing services with recovery of the vehicle. We’ve also attached 3 images of the rescue captured by Lisa Casey. Shortly after 4:00pm, divers are now in the water utilizing underwater lifting bags provided by the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office to stabilize and make efforts to lift the vehicle for recovery. Divers say the depth of the water is approximately 10-12 feet. At 5:45pm, the vehicle has been recovered from the river.
Thanks to the rescuers, 911 callers, responding deputies, LSP and dive team members that took part in today’s rescue and vehicle recovery.”
